MMSU joins nat’l consortium for Graduate Science, Math education

By Reynaldo E. Andres

Contributor

           

Batac CITY—The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), along with nine other higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country, signed on July 25 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DOST’s Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) to establish a National Consortium in Graduate Science and Mathematics Education (NCGSME).

The other NCGSME member-institutions are the De La Salle University, Ateneo De Manila University, Philippine Normal University, Mindanao State University (MSU), University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City, Western Mindanao State University (MSU), West Visayas State University (WVSU), Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija, and the Bicol University.

As stipulated in the MOU signed July 25 between DOST-SEI and the 10 HEIs, the university shall start sharing its resources with the other NCGSME member-agencies in offering graduate degree programs in science and mathematics education (SME) as long as it strictly complies with the policies and standards of graduate education based on existing issuances by the Commission on Higher Education. The MOU is valid until 2019.

The establishment of the NCGSME is in line with DOST-SEI’s mandate to undertake human resources development through science and technology (S&T) education and training. It supports and coordinates national programs of HEIs for quality science education through teacher trainings, researches, curriculum development, and scholarship programs.

As the DOST-SEI’s role in the consortium is to accelerate the development of human resources in S&T, particularly highly skilled teachers in science and mathematics, MMSU and the other member-agencies in Luzon will share the vision of the network of respected universities in the country that develop a pool of world class experts in SME through the consortium.         

This setup will also apply to those member-agencies in Visayas and Mindanao. For instance, the HEIs in the two regions will share their resources through the Visayas and Mindanao Science Education Consortium (VMSEC). The DOST-SEI has already established a graduate program in science education with the MSU, USC, WMSU, and the WVSU which are members of the VMSEC. These schools also agreed to expand its network with the universities in Luzon based on their track records and capabilities in the graduate SME.

The 10 HEIs have agreed to pursue the objectives of the NCGSME in putting up a sustainable framework of producing experts in SME, especially at the regional levels, so that they would become champions in national development.

As a network of prestigious and high caliber HEIs, these agencies will immediately organize themselves to produce quality graduates in master’s and doctor’s programs in SME which are capable of generating new knowledge, thereby advancing the culture of research in the country.