PRESIDENT Miriam E. Pascua joined CHEd Commissioner Ma. Cynthia Rose B. Bautista and Deputy Executive Director Napoleon B. Imperial in an observation tour in Australia, June 18-22, regarding the amalgamation of higher education institutions there.

The trip was funded by the Endeavor Awards, the Australian Government’s internationally competitive, merit-based scholarship program providing opportunities for citizens of the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas to undertake study, research, and professional development in Australia. It is similar to the Fulbright program of the United States.

In their visit to five institutions – the University of Canberra, University of Sydney, University of Western Sydney, Australian Catholic University, and the Charles Sturt University – the team noted successful cases of amalgamation at the same time looked into difficulties some universities are experiencing.

Also president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges in Region I, Dr. Pascua was chosen to represent the 110 SUCs in the Philippines in the observation tour because Region I is leading in its efforts to amalgamate SUCs compared to other parts of the country.

On April 17 at the FEM Hall Conference Room, presidents of the six SUCs in the region signed a memorandum of agreement indicating support towards the creation of a regional university system.

SUC’s in the region, says Dr. Pascua, will proceed initially through program amalgamation. She admitted that amalgamation in terms of governance will be a long and difficult process as each of the SUCs has an existing set of administrators. “For instance, questions on who will lead the regional university and on what to do with existing SUC presidents will have to be dealt with,” she said.

At this stage, the following are on the pipeline: unified admission tests, common admission and retention policies, and uniform programs and policies that will address the undersubscribed courses. In the long run, structural systems in administration and governance will also be put into place. For these purposes, a charter for the regional university system will have to be enacted by Congress.