“Utilize innovative and creative methods, strategies, and technologies to find solutions to problems and formulate and implement decisions.”
– Dr. Eduardo T. Bagtang.
Human beings are a fantastic creation of nature, and their minds are breaching the boundaries by bringing new innovative technologies. Highlighting the advancements brought by technology, the education sector is adopting various technology-driven changes initiating ways to enhance the education for the students by personalizing the learning experience and focusing more on culture and nature’s study.
Many prominent universities across the world are guiding the students to deal with the natural calamities. To determine such advanced education, Kalinga State University is also adopting and diversifying its lifelong learning in natural disasters and cultural research.
The university aims to empower the students to fulfill their academic and professional passions and engages them in diverse perspectives by holding their values and beliefs as ethical practice locally or globally in an institution that is diverse, welcoming, and inclusive for all students, faculty, and staff.
In quest of finding the 10 Best Educational Institutions in the Philippines, 2022, we came across Dr. Eduardo T. Bagtang, the President of Kalinga State University. Shedding some light on the detailed insights and approach of the university, he also shared his vision for the future of the university.
The Bigwig’s Journey
Born with the leadership qualities, Dr. Eduardo T. Bagtang is a full-fledged professor and the President at Kalinga State University. Before joining the University, Dr. Bagtang was a Philippine Presidential Management Staff member from 1987 to 1994.
As an academic leader, he won various awards at regional, national, and international levels, and recently he received the “Outstanding Educator 2022” award from the Province of Kalinga. He is also a recipient of the 2018 Chief Marketing Officer Asia’s Education Leadership Excellence Award as well as the Education Leadership Award during the 4th Asia’s Best B-School Awards in Singapore.
Dr. Bagtang is a prominent leader who encourages the university’s quality and innovative academic programs. The program’s initiatives and institutional accreditation raised the SUC (State Universities and Colleges) University’s status from SUC (State Universities and Colleges) Level II to SUC Level III. As a project leader, he pilots research projects on climate change, indigenous ecological conservation, and induced landslide susceptibility, which were funded by external agencies. He received program complementation from other agencies and linked with government agencies which strengthened the development pursuit of the university.
He has published his research works on Farming Management, Landslide Susceptibility, and many more. Dr. Bagtang is also associated with local and foreign established higher education institutions and organizations. He also participated in advanced leadership trainings and fellowships, including the prestigious ASEAN Leaders’ Program.
A Glimpse of the University Inception
Kalinga State University started in 1974 as the Kalinga Community College of Trade and Industries (KCCTI), which offered vocational courses in poultry, piggery, garments, trades, and native loom weaving. It became a state college in 1986 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 2017.
On December 15, 2015, the Philippine Commission on Higher Education granted the university status under the provisions of R.A. 10584; now, the university indulges the students in various subjects such as agriculture, forestry, social and natural sciences, and technology.
Apart from the arts, science, law, criminology, governance, business, and computer studies, the Kalinga State University offers 29 other bachelor’s programs and six graduate degree programs in business administration, public administration, education, and rural development. It also offers the Juris Doctor Program.
These courses have been provided in every Kalinga University extension. However, the main campus of the prestigious Kalinga State University is in Bulano,Tabuk city, and the other two expanding campuses are in Dagupan and Rizal.
Mandatory Activities for Development
For developing the farmers, rural and urban communities, the university has been mandated to conduct research on a priority basis with the help of appropriate technology for increasing agro-industrial productivity. It also seeks to develop sustainable knowledge, economically viable, socially acceptable, and environment-friendly technologies, which support local, regional, national, and international priorities.
The research and extension activities include unique projects such as Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, Watershed management, Indigenous people studies, climate change, disaster risk reduction, and landslide training for communities and non-expert people. Furthermore, to improve the quality of services, the university collaborates with local and international agencies to promote the visibility and capability of the university in segments of instruction, research, and extension.
Perspective and Undertaking
Kalinga State University focuses on bringing innovative technologies into the education sector and promoting various research and extension programs.
Vision
“A Knowledge and Technology Hub in the Asia-Pacific Region”
Mission
Kalinga State University shall primarily provide higher and advanced education, professional instruction, and training in arts, agriculture, forestry, social or natural sciences, technology, and other fields of study. It also promotes research and extension services and provides progressive leadership in its areas of specialization.
Core Values
To attain its vision-mission, KSU always adheres to excellent governance in all its endeavors and treats all its clientele and employees with kindness and compassion to promote a strong sense of service-orientedness and commitment; it also fosters unity or love for nature and humanity.
Institutional Priorities and Student’s Learning Outcome
When we asked about the priorities of their institution in terms of course objectives and student learning, the attributes mentioned are creatively expressed in EC²LiPSE:
- Effective Teamwork- The University works well with others and can understand and access people’s behavior, attitudes, and interpersonal skills.
- Culturally Competent– Engaging students in diverse cultural and Indigenous perspectives in global and local settings.
- Lifelong Learners-Manifest strong will and determination to face the tasks and responsibilities in dealing with complex realities to make lives better for others and themselves
- Professionally Competent– KSU demonstrates the understanding and mastery of the fundamental knowledge and skills required for effective professional practice in the specialization.
- Socially and Ethically Responsible– The University holds the personal values and beliefs as professional ethics with Filipino family values, industry-desired values, and global citizen values,
Maintaining Quality Education Standards
A quality assurance office of the university looks after the internal and external quality systems through institutional and program accreditation. The officers are guided by the University Quality Management System, which provides the policies and mechanisms to comply with regulatory and statutory requirements at all levels.
Enjoyable and Entertaining Event in the University
The university arranges various extra-curricular and co-curricular development activities for the student’s interpersonal growth. Sports, cultural performances, literary competitions in educational clubs, talent shows, spelling bees, writing competitions, debates, mock trials, school newspapers, and drama productions are some of the university’s activities. All these activities are arranged by the student services and placement services office.
To prepare the students for the future, they have developed essential centers and the facility. The innovation center, birthing clinic, ICT center, campus library, student center, central laboratory, speech laboratories, food technology center, gymnasium, research centers, sports oval, and fitness center, to name a few.
KSU’s Global Exposure for the students
Kalinga State University intends to make a heroical venture to address the emerging trends in higher education and explore strategies for international students studying in Kalinga, International collaboration among education and research institutes, Intercultural Development, Academic Mobility, Inclusive education through online or distance education, and non-traditional delivery modes.
The university also created the Office of Distance Education, Transnational Education, and International Linkages in 2017. The enormous task of the university was the intentional steps of assimilation of an international, intercultural, or global extent into the purpose, functions, and services of the university to enhance the quality of teaching and research for all students and staff to enable them to make a meaningful contribution in the society.
KSU has endorsed an agreement with regional organizations such as the Association of Universities in Asia and the Pacific (AUAP) and the University Mobility in the Asia-Pacific (UMAP) for massive collaborations. The ASEAN partnership with the university has been explored aggressively.
Special Awards, Accreditations, and Achievements of KSU
Being a renowned university, the Kalinga State University has received many awards and accolades to make it the best university; now, we will present a few of its achievements :
- Evaluated as State University and Colleges Level III.
- The outstanding performance of physical and financial aspects as evaluated by the Regional Department of Budget and Management.
- The CHED awarded grants to establish the Geophysical Information Service center and Kalinga Cultural Heritage Studies and Edu-tourism Center.
- Three programs are certified as Level IV by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP).
- DOST awarded grants for the Modernization of Engineering Laboratory to cope with global challenges.
- The University is certified to ISO 9001:2015
A Glance at their vision
When inquired about the university’s future, Dr. Bagtang said, “Kalinga State University envisions empowering the students to fulfill their academic and professional passions and welcoming inclusive education for all students, faculty, and staff. The collaborative environment is open to the free exchange of ideas, where research, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship can flourish and achieve their full potential.”
In Summation, Kalinga State University’s unconventional inspiration for education is diversifying the segments that provide a sense of accountability, independence, and community interdependence among the students.
