𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗪 | CHED ROI UniFAST team distributes stipends to the 1,068 Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) Mariano Marcos State University grantees from the 1st District of Ilocos Norte, October 20, 2025.

The Philippines further strengthened its engagement in regional higher education cooperation as Dr. Christine Nabor-Ferrer, Director IV of the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office 1 (CHED RO1), represented CHED in the 2025 ASEAN Advisory Committee and Conference for the ASEAN Cyber University (ACU) Project held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on September 16 to 19, 2025.
The event, organized by the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN University Network, served as a platform for advancing ASEAN–Republic of Korea collaboration in digital transformation, higher education innovation, and lifelong learning.
Dr. Ferrer joined delegates from ASEAN Member-states, the ASEAN Cyber University Steering Committee, and leading universities across the region in discussing policy directions and best practices that respond to the fast-evolving digital landscape of higher education.
The conference opened with remarks from Director Kwang-Hoon Jeong of KERIS, who emphasized the shared responsibility of ASEAN and Korea in shaping the future of education through digital transformation. Followed by a keynote speech from Mr. Kamal Mamat, Head of the Education, Youth, and Sports Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, who emphasized ASEAN’s vision of building a future-ready learning ecosystem rooted in inclusion, quality, and lifelong learning.
Throughout the plenary sessions, participants exchanged insights on innovative models of digital learning and regional cooperation.
Prof. Dr. Jintavee Khlisang of the Thailand Cyber University and Chulalongkorn University presented the Thai MOOC initiative as a model of inclusive lifelong learning. Her presentation also emphasized ASEAN–Korea collaboration in developing bilingual MOOCs, cross-border course sharing, and stackable learning pathways that enhance employability and regional mobility.
Dr. Andrew Adrian Pua of De La Salle University–Manila, discussed online course design as a creative avenue to improve traditional teaching, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanapan Laiprakobsup, Executive Director of the ASEAN University Network, presented the AUN-QA frameworks as key mechanisms for strengthening quality assurance and qualifications comparability across ASEAN higher education institutions.
Beyond the plenary sessions, Dr. Ferrer actively participated in networking engagements with ASEAN delegates and Korean partners, particularly in discussions focused on enhancing the ASEAN–Korea Education Cooperation Framework through the Higher Education for ASEAN Talents Program and the ACU Open Educational Resources (OER) system.
Furthermore, she also joined conversations on policy harmonization, sustainability, and artificial intelligence literacy, contributing to emerging regional initiatives on digital credential verification and AI-driven learning ecosystems.
She noted that the insights gained from the conference are highly relevant to CHED’s policy agenda, especially in the areas of digital transformation, micro-credentials, and lifelong learning.
“The Philippine higher education sector must continue integrating digital indicators into institutional quality assurance systems and developing a national framework for stackable learning and micro-credential recognition,” Dr. Ferrer said.
She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to showcase Philippine initiatives and pledged to translate conference outcomes into actionable reforms at home.