Southern Leyte State U, GSU partner for academic, research collab

The Southern Leyte State University is leading the way to a partnership with Guimaras State University (GSU) for an academic and research collaboration.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Southern Leyte State U and GSU on Monday, June 6, 2022, represented by both of its presidents, Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes and Dr. Lilian Diana B. Parreño respectively, to cooperate and collaborate in academic and research programs in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, food technology, commerce, engineering, arts and sciences, trade and other common disciplines, based on equality, reciprocity, and mutual benefit.

GSU is the first and only state university in the province of Guimaras, which was transitioned from Guimaras State College to now a university through Republic Act (RA) 11335 signed into law on April 26, 2019 by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

The two state universities shall aim at strengthening other modes of partnership such as faculty and students exchange, development, and sharing of research laboratories, facilities and equipment where students in both undergraduate and graduate levels from both institutions are given access and use of these laboratories and facilities for their research projects.

Moreover, Southern Leyte State U and GSU shall endeavor to organize workshops, seminars, conferences, and journal publications in the relevant fields of cooperation. They shall be active partners in their future project and shall be mentioned in publications involving common research work.

President Yepes expressed her excitement on behalf of Southern Leyte State U about this partnership.

"Our collaboration are a hallmark of academic and research in both of our institutions and simply can’t make progress without it – across disciplines, across institutions, across borders," she said.

Meanwhile, President Parreño also called for the cooperation of everyone for this partnership to work well.

"Southern Leyte State U and GSU must create an academic environment conducive to cooperation, assisting each other with initiatives, projects, and innovations," she shared, saying that both institutions must go beyond their capability, think outside the box, and encourage fruitful collaborations and use of facilities, equipment and other resources as often as possible.

Present during the virtual ceremonial MOU signing were GSU's Vice President for Research, Extension, Training and Innovation Dr. Julieta G. Infante and Southern Leyte State U's Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension Serves Dr. Francis Ann R. Sy who served as witnesses of the partnership.