Pursuant to the wish of its Japanese partners, the University of San Jose-Recoletos has extended the scope of the Saitama-Cebu Comprehensive Human Resource Monozukuri Project to include engineering students and professors of two more Cebu-based universities.
USJ-R President Rev. Fr. Cristopher Maspara, OAR signed the pact with University of San Carlos (USC) President Rev. Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD and Cebu Technological University (CTU) President Dr. Rosein Ancheta Jr. yesterday for USC and CTU students and professors’ participation in the program.
“As far as I know, this is the only kind of collaboration existing in the Philippines wherein universities, local governments and the business sector are involved,” Fr. Maspara said of the Monozukuri project.
The program, which immerses engineering students and professors to Japanese culture and manufacturing approach and philosophy embodied in the Monozukuri, was first established in 2013 on the collaboration of USJ-R, Province of Cebu and the Saitama Prefectural government.
It is fully funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The first phase ended earlier this year, with 80 students and six professors graduating; and the program was renewed by Saitama Prefectural government for two more years in November last year.
One of the recommendations of Saitama and JICA, upon the approval of the second phase of the Monozukuri training, was the extension in terms of participating schools in Cebu, said Dr. Virgilio Abellana.
Dr. Abellana, dean of USJ-R College of Engineering, also signed as a witness to the agreement along with Dr. Victor Villaganas, CTU Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Ronald Galindo, chairman of USC Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department.
The dean said the purpose of the program is to build academe-industry-LGU linkages. Saitama-based universities who signed up for the program include Toyo University, Saitama University, Shibaura Institute of Technology and Nippon Institute of Technology.
Written by Ioannes P. Arong
