Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU shares COIL best practices in nat’l fair

By Ian Paul Villanueva

Mariano Marcos State University’s (MMSU) recent strides in virtual internationalization were featured during the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Info Session, Networking, and Partnering Fair 2026 held online on June 19.

International Programs Chief Mark Joseph Pastor, who also serves as the university’s COIL coordinator, delivered the talk titled “Institutional COIL Journey: How MMSU Started, Sustained, or Expanded its COIL Initiatives,” where he highlighted the university’s experiences in conceptualizing and implementing the MMSU Stallion COIL Program.

Dr. Pastor also spoke of how COIL serves as an accessible and scalable approach to internationalization by allowing institutions to provide meaningful global experiences to a greater number of their students and faculty members.

MMSU rolled out its first six COIL projects during the second semester of Academic Year 2025-2026. Students from MMSU, along with those from partner institutions in Japan and Indonesia, engaged in intercultural learning, collaborative projects, and global classroom experiences without leaving the country.

Organized by the Commission on Higher Education – International Affairs Service and the Holy Child Central Colleges, Inc., the national event gathered academic leaders, faculty members, internationalization officers, and representatives from various higher education institutions in the country. The fair was anchored on the theme, “Beyond Learning Continuity: Leveraging COIL for Innovative Teaching, Global Partnerships, and Internationalized Higher Education.”

The event also marked the launch of the COIL Bayanihan Network, a platform designed to strengthen collaboration, resource sharing, and partnership-building through an institutional directory, partner-matching tools, and a centralized resource hub. 

By actively participating in this new network, alongside other leaders in internationalization in higher education, MMSU is positioned to forge new cross-border partnerships and further solidify its leadership in innovative global education.