by Shay Du | March 10, 2023
Non-governmental organization Institute for Global Education, Exchange, and Internship (IGEEI) visited Silliman University (SU) and shared plans of developing a mobile and web application that can connect volunteers and interns with organizations internationally.
IGEEI also conducted an international Youth Conference in SU for their Technology for Peace Project (T4P), which intended to promote peace-building and volunteerism through technology, at the Multipurpose Room on Feb. 17.
IGEEI President Rior Santos said that the planned app would be a “game changer” that will “level the playing ground for everyone.”
When the application finishes development, IGEEI plans to conduct a pilot run in Dumaguete City and partner with the city’s universities.
Santos said, “[I]f we can make it work here in the Philippines, in Dumaguete, we are confident that we can showcase it to the entire country and globally.”
During the conference, delegates from participating international universities and organizations presented their efforts to boost volunteerism in their respective countries and use technology for education.
In SU, Dr. Dave Marcial, director of Silliman Online University Learning (SOUL), discussed how challenging traditional educational techniques have allowed SU to teach students an “entrepreneurial mindset.”
He said this mindset will help them build a peaceful feature.
“[W]e need to invest in innovation—not necessarily [through] financial [means], but through [investments in] effort and leadership,” he added.
SU Student Government (SUSG) also presented initiatives they implemented where social media was a key factor.
“Because [we were able to maximize] our presence in digital spaces, people understand the importance of responding to issues and engaging with [marginalized] sectors,” said Andrei Elizalde, executive secretary of the SUSG.
Santos also said that SU being an active player in the academic field and socio-civic engagement made Dumaguete a prime venue for the conference.
The engagement with SU was one of the activities in the T4P, an initiative from IGEEI.
IGEEI partnered with SU socio-civic organization Renaissance Youth Leaders Forum (RYLF) to coordinate T4P’s interactions with local institutions, while the Erasmus+ KA2 Program provided partial funding for the delegates.
International delegates came from the International EDUCenter of Romania, Field Services and Inter-cultural Learning India, Regionalne Centrum Wolontariatu w Kielach (Regional Volunteer Center) of Poland, Center for Sustainable Development Studies of Vietnam, and North Macedonia.
Apart from SU, T4P’s international delegates also visited Foundation University, Negros Oriental State University, and the Local Youth Development Office for discussions on the same topics.
