The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing internationalization in higher education through its active participation in the Region 5 Higher Education Internationalization 101: EXPAND – Exploring Perspectives and Approaches for Navigating Development in Internationalization, at Bicol University, Daraga, Albay on August 27, 2025. The event was organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office V in partnership with Bicol University (BU) and the Bicol Foundation for Higher Education.
CBSUA was represented by Dr. Cherry Love B. Montales, Director of the International Relations Office (IRO) and Assistant Director for International Quality Assurance, together with campus IRO Coordinators Ms. Aiza P. Cayetano, Ms. Mariss Encinares, and Mr. Sherwin Baja.
Signing of the Commitment Wall
As part of the program, CBSUA officials signed the Commitment Wall, symbolizing the University’s dedication to strengthening internationalization efforts. By signing, CBSUA joined other institutions in declaring:
“We, the participants of the event EXPAND: Exploring Perspectives and Approaches for
Navigating Development in Internationalization, pledge our commitment to advancing the
internationalization of Philippine Higher Education by fostering global competitiveness, aligning
with the Sustainability Development Goals, and strengthening collaboration with CHED and
partner institutions in implementing transformative strategies that will elevate the global standing
of our higher education sector.”
In the Open Forum session, Dr. Cherry Love B. Montales shared CBSUA’s best practices on internationalization, emphasizing how the University’s vision and strategic development plan explicitly incorporate goals related to internationalization. She noted that CBSUA has dedicated offices working on these initiatives, and credited the strong leadership of the University President, Dr. Alberto N. Naperi, for driving internationalization forward.
Because of these collective efforts, CBSUA has earned recognition in prestigious global rankings, including the QS Stars Rating in 2021, Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings in 2023, 2024, and 2025, World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) in 2024
and 2025, and UI GreenMetric in 2023 and 2024. These accomplishments serve as proof of CBSUA’s dedication to excellence and global competitiveness.
The EXPAND forum featured keynote addresses, institutional sharing, and discussions on global competitiveness, SDG alignment, and ASEAN’s sustainable development journey. By participating, CBSUA further strengthened its role as a leader in higher education
internationalization in the Bicol Region, fostering collaboration with CHED, partner HEIs, and regional stakeholders.
The University’s participation shows its strong commitment to preparing globally competent graduates and contributing to international education and development. | 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘳. 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴
