MSU SYSTEM STRENGTHENS ITS MANDATE TO PURSUE TRANSFORM AS WORLD CLASS UNIVERSITY

- Dr. Habib Watamama Macaayong delivered his yearend report. 

 BY ASANGAN T. MADALE 

 Marawi City - In an interview with Dr. Habib Watamama Macaayong, President of the Mindanao State University System (MSUs), he stated “We had great plans for thriving as a world class University in Southern Philippines in accordance with the mandate of the university vision and mission but pandemic came and disrupted everything.” 

He was appointed on March 9, 2016 as seventh regular President of the Mindanao State University System (MSUs) with a fixed term to expire in 2022. 

As we would probably know, we did not just sit out the long lockdown imposed by the National Inter-Agency Task Force and the Department of Health (IATF-DOH) to strictly observe the standard health protocols. 

Instead, the Office of the President supported by the Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, Deans and Directors including our external campuses went online to plan intervention programs to continue their works as well as the education of our students.

In his year-end accomplishment reports for 2020 was focus on the following basic principles, such as Infrastructure development, Policy reforms, Crafting new relevant and initiating massive curricular revision, Forging linkages/partnerships for collaborative projects, preventing and protecting MSU main campus in Marawi City against extremism especially during the Marawi siege, and mindful of the principles of clientele satisfaction and continued improvements among others. First, on infrastructure development 

The President's term has been much of a construction boom expended on the completion of the construction of new buildings.

Among these are the College of Education, College of Public Affairs, College of Business Administration and Accountancy, College of Social Sciences and Humanities. On (Dream Buildings) includes the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, College of Engineering, College of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Center for Hotel and restaurant, Convention Center, College of Forestry, College of Fisheries, and Information and Communication Technology College, Institute of Science Education, University Hostel and (2) Faculty Housing.

The completion of these buildings solved the longstanding problem of classroom shortage.

Second, was on the crafting of new relevant programs and initiating curricula revision. The Marawi Siege that broke out in May 2017 crudely jolted society into an awareness of the insidious taking root and spread of violent extremism.

As a response to this new threat, President Macaayong using the mandate and mission the MSUs as a National Peace University, spearheaded the crafting of a Peace Education course (FPE 101- Fundamentals of Peace Education), and its inclusion in the various curricula offerings as a general requirement or part of the General Education Course.

This move was lauded by universities in Manila like Miriam College and De La Salle University as "trailblazing”. In fact, CHED proposed that the MSU be in the vanguard in training faculty Peace Education pedagogy in other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). Lastly, the forging linkages/partnerships for collaborative projects.

President Macaayong has been very active in forming linkages with foreign universities in Southeast Asia-e.g. Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia- and in Turkey (specifically Kastamuno University). Through these MOUs, the university hopes its student-and-faculty exchange programs will lift off the ground. ( Edited by Charina Enriquez,Executive Editor; Technical Editor Jong Cadion; Managing Editor Jun Enriquez)