CATBALOGAN CITY – Prof. Jhonil C. Bajado, Head of the Museum and Archives, challenged the personnel of Samar State University (SSU) to “start thinking ASEAN” during the Opening Ceremony of the 2021 ASEAN Virtual Celebration on August 18 (21) via Zoom and Facebook Live Stream.
Prof. Bajado, who served as the Keynote Speaker of the event, emphasized that we need to truly understand what it means to be ‘ASEAN people’.
He tackled on the history of ASEAN, the three pillars of creating genuine ASEAN community, the role of educators in consolidating people-centered ASEAN community, and the challenge to the SSU community.
“The challenge to the SSU community is to embrace a clear and consistent direction in integrating the vision of the ASEAN and its member-nations to work on the implementation inspite of the challenges even now with this pandemic, facilitate the mobility of teachers and teacher-educators within the region, support ASEAN community-building and achievement of the UN 2020 SDGs, and enhance quality and respect for the teaching profession in the ASEAN region”, he stated.
Prof. Bajado mentioned that the University is already doing ways to achieve the objectives of the ASEAN by partnering with other universities or other ASEAN countries, inking agreements for students and faculty mobility, and banking on campus tourism to give a picture of student life and campus culture and build an attractive University identity.
In closing, Prof. Bajado said that the goal can only be achieved through unity and knowing what ASEAN means.
“When asked what ASEAN means to us, start by thinking. When we think of SSU community, think of ASEAN community, and think of the rest of the humanity,” he concluded.
The celebration continued until August 20 (21) on the Orientation of QS Star Rating.
