Keynote Speakers

Keynote I: Wednesday, December 4, 2024  

“Building a Stronger Body of Research on Service-Learning Across the Asian Region” by Professor Andrew Furco 

The need for more and better on service-learning continues as a growing number of educational institutions across the globe are adopting service-learning as an important pedagogical approach for advancing student learning and development. Specifically, more robust and nuanced studies are needed that take into account the cultural, regional, and institutional contexts in which service-learning is situated. In this session, we examine the state of service-learning research writ large, with a focus on future research priorities and trends as they pertain to the broader Asian region. Participants will be asked to reflect on and identify aspects of research that they feel are needed to advance service-learning in their higher education and community contexts.

Andrew Furco
Professor of Education and Director of the International Center for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, University of Minnesota, United States

Andrew Furco is Professor of Education at the University of Minnesota in the United States, where he is also Director of the International Center for Research on Community Engagement.  From 2008-2022 he served as the University of Minnesota's Associate Vice President for Public Engagement. In this role he worked to integrate community engagement more fully into the institution's research and teaching priorities, promoting the advancement of service-learning across the disciplines. Prior to arriving at Minnesota, he served for 14 years as the founding director of the Service-Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Berkeley. In 2001, while at Berkeley, he hosted the first international research conference on service-learning, which led to the formation of the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) in 2005.  

Furco has led more than 30 service-learning and community engagement-focused research studies and is currently leading the development of a Global Research Agenda for Service-Learning and Community Engagement for the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE).  His publications include five edited books and more than 80 publications on the topic of service-learning and community engagement.  Inducted in the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship in 2015, he is also the recipient of the John S. Duley Lifetime Achievement Award for Experiential Education from the U.S. National Society for Experiential Education and the Alec Dickson Servant Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement in Service-Learning for the U.S. National Youth Leadership Council. 

Keynote II: Thursday, December 5, 2024  

“A University for the People: The UP Experience in Service-Learning” by President Angelo A. Jimenez 

At the University of the Philippines (UP), service learning has long been a cornerstone of education, emphasizing social responsibility, civic engagement, and character development, even before it gained global prominence as a pedagogical strategy. Through Republic Act No. 9163, or the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001, the Philippine government requires all higher education institutions to offer one of three NSTP components: the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), Literacy Training Service (LTS), and Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS). At UP, however, this commitment has evolved far beyond requirements, transforming into a comprehensive, student-centered approach to public service.

Across UP's eight constituent universities, more than 300 service-learning courses empower students to directly engage with communities, addressing their concerns and fostering empowerment from within. These courses, guided by UP’s NSTP Offices and the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod/Oblation Corps, provide frameworks for students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems, reinforcing UP’s strategic goal of leading as a public service university as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500. As the national university, UP holds a special responsibility to serve not only the academic community but also the broader public, supporting government, private, and civil society sectors through a range of public, community, and volunteer services.

With its more than 70 research institutes and centers, UP has developed practical solutions to address specific community challenges, drawing on the expertise of its faculty, students, researchers, and administrative staff. These collaborative efforts yield meaningful projects that uplift underserved and marginalized communities, exemplifying UP’s mission of public service in action.

In the coming academic year, UP’s proposed core curriculum will also require all students to complete six units of service learning. This milestone marks the first time that service-learning courses are mandatory for students, further embedding the university's commitment to fostering civic responsibility and social awareness through community engagement. By intertwining personal growth with academic application, these experiences equip students with the practical skills, empathy, and insights needed to drive societal progress, embodying the transformative power of service learning within higher education.

Angelo A. Jimenez
President, University of the Philippines, Philippines

Angelo A. Jimenez is a labor lawyer and expert in global worker migration whose contributions have shaped labor migration frameworks in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He played a key role in establishing the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers and served as Labor Attaché in Japan, Kuwait, and Iraq, earning accolades for ensuring Filipino worker safety during the Israel-Lebanon conflict and rescuing a hostage in Iraq. 

Jimenez’s extensive career in government includes roles at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Office of the President. He has lectured on gender-responsive migration and ethical recruitment at the UP International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders and authored papers for the International Organization for Migration and the Blas Ople Policy Center. 

A graduate of the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and a Lee Kuan Yew Fellow at Harvard, Jimenez also holds a Bachelor of Laws and a BA in Sociology from UP Diliman. As a student, he served as UP Student Regent and Chairperson of the University Student Council. 

Jimenez’s vision for UP centers on its role as a hub for transformational change, engaging communities to address real-world challenges and fostering a global perspective while acting locally.