The International Affairs and Linkages Office works to advance Pangasinan State University’s commitment to international education as it aspires for an inclusive culture, promotion of research and innovative global engagement. With that end-goal, we provide support for international students and scholars by developing in them international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary competencies through innovative curriculum, global partnerships, creative activities, and community engagement.

The Office serves as PSU’s gateway to international forums through the conduct of cooperative activities and cultural and academic exchanges with international institutions, providing academic services to international communities and activities for teaching staff and international students attending courses at Pangasinan State University.

HISTORY OF  THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICE

The Philippine higher education landscape is continually changing. By virtue of Section 4 of the Republic Act 8292 otherwise known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, a team of specialists in Institution Development, Research and Development, Academic Programs and Quality Assurance, Extension Programs and Income Generation and Business was commissioned to evaluate the status of the University in terms of its quadric function.

The birth of the International Affairs Office was brought about by the recommendation of the External Program Management Review’s (EPMR) proposal for the institutionalization of the said office for the University to be able to pursue internationalization initiatives. In the year 2018 during the administration of Dr. Victoriano C. Estira, the Pangasinan State University established the International Affairs Office.

Under the leadership of its very first International Affairs Director, Dr. Sally A Jarin, the first PSU International partnership was forged with Maejo University of Thailand. a he Memorandum of Understanding was signed by PS President Dr. Victoriano C. Estira and Maejo President Dr. Chamnian Yosraj in 2014 during the signing of the Memorandurn of Agreerent by both universities in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines.

Soon after, a sisterhood was sealed with the soka University of Japan that same vear. The PSU team composed of the University President Dr. Victorian C. Estira, Vice President for Administration and Planning, Dr. Lydia C. Buduhan and international Affairs Director, Dr. Sally A Jarin visited Soka University in Japan for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement. PSU awarded the PS Honoris Causa to Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, President of Soka University while Soka University awarded the Highest Honor Award as Honorary Professor of Soka University to the PSU University President during a program held in Tokyo, Japan.

The quest of growing PSU in latitude and international presence continued in the succeeding years with additional international partner higher educational institutions in the ASEAN region More Universities such as Phranakhon Rajabhat University of Thailand, Tansian University Nigeria, National Pintung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan and University Malaysia Perlis were added in the list.

With Dr. Jarin at the helm of the International Affairs office, PS marked a milestone when it organized the first ever International Academic Summit in 2014 with a total of more than 200 participants all over the Philippines including international participants from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Nigeria, China and Taiwan PSU collaborated with SEAMEO-INNOTECH, international organization based in Thailand. Two years later the 2nd International Academic Summit, was conducted in collaboration with the Maeio University of Thailand and SEAMEO-INNOTECH. The latest summit was held in 2019 with international speakers from Education USA, SEAMEO-INNOTECH, Politeknik Neger Batam, Indonesia and Universitas Tidar, Indonesia.

Another noteworthy achievement the office is the membership of the Pangasinan State University with the SEAMEO INNOTECH education network. It paved the way for the University to join the international student and faculty exchange program. The partnership allowed students and faculty members to be exposed to various ASEAN culture and life-long learnings as they interact with other races during their immersion sessions.

Internationalization is all the more strengthened under the leadership of the 6th PSU President, Dr. Dexter R. Buted. The international network and linkages of the University keeps growing as the University continued to pursue international collaborations by seeking membership with other educational networks. Subsequently, usuhasa member of the association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP), ASEAN Fisheries Education Network, Asian Agriculture University Network, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education (SEAMEO) and SEAMEO-INNOTECH.

President Buted approved the plan for PSU to engage in international internship program in 2017. PSU took part in the SEA-TVET and SEA- TEACHER program which was able to send a total of 224 inbound students and 136 outbound students in 2019. The expansion of the international reach of the University is incessant as the office continues to break ground in other nations covering most of the countries in the ASEAN region.

Presently, the International Affairs Office has sisterhood and partnerships with a total of 159 international linkages. The office was recently renamed as Local and International Linkages Office under the Office of the University President. The move aimed to strengthen the linkages network of the University by focusing both on the local and international linkages and to centralize the University’s collaborative efforts its quadric function of instruction, research, extension and production.

International Memberships