By Kate Giordan Flores
An advanced transformation center for digitalization and technology-based innovation is set to rise in Silliman University (SU) within the next two years following a partnership with Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The center, which is under the SU College of Business Administration, will provide basic and advanced information and technology education to local youths, students, and faculty members.
According to CBA Asst. Prof. Larry Vincent C. Regencia, the training program will be carried out in three phases with different demographics and skill targets.
The first phase begins with a soft launch spanning from Aug. 4 to 29 for 20 local youth from Negros Oriental, while the second batch of another 20 local youth is slated on February 2026.
While the construction of KOICA transformation center is still underway, the first phase will be temporarily conducted in SU’s Dr. Mariano Lao Global Studies Center’s computer laboratory.
To guarantee the program’s sustainability, the second phase will focus on faculty training to prepare Dumaguete-based educators to be co-trainers alongside Korean experts.
The last phase will be composed of training 80 business analytics and information technology students from SU and other Dumaguete-based universities.
Meanwhile, CBA Dean Dr. Wilma Tejero-Libares during the soft launch last July 29 said that the program aims to reach a 50–percent employment rate for participants in the business process outsourcing industry.
The project officially began last April during a site visit of representatives from Hannam University, following a project planning and program development to fund the creation of the laboratory and its equipment.
Dr. Younsik Shin, executive director of Hannam University’s Asia-Pacific Cross Border Cooperation Center, said that the project’s phases will integrate a larger budget and upgraded equipment for participants.
“This initiative could become a critical stepping stone for students of SU and for the rise of leading digital education in the Philippines and Asia, especially in the context of a global AI landscape,” he shared during the soft launch.
The project was also mentioned by SU President Betty Cernol-McCann during the recent All-University Convocation where she emphasized SU’s role as a globally-competitive institution in Asia.
“Artificial intelligence and data analytics are no longer futuristic concepts, they are here […] In the midst of these trends, our challenge and our opportunity is to define our own unique voice and contribution,” McCann said.
The project’s curriculum was co-developed by the Hannam University, SU CBA, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Technical Educational Vocational and Entrepreneurial Center, and the Information and Communications Technology Association of Dumaguete and Negros Oriental.
