APUCEN Joins Davao Roundtable on Community Engagement in Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific University-Community Engagement Network (APUCEN) recently participated in the DACUN/IRON XI Roundtable Discussion with APUCEN 2026. Hosted by San Pedro College, the discussion gathered together 24 representatives from 17 institutions and government agencies across the Davao Region to discuss regional collaboration in relation to university-community engagement.

Held under the Davao Association of Colleges and Universities Network (DACUN) and the International Relations Office Network XI (IRON XI), the half-day session focused on the benefits of APUCEN membership and explored opportunities for joint community engagement initiatives among Davao-based institutions.

Participants included the Commission on Higher Education, Regional Office XI; five state universities and colleges, namely University of Southeastern Philippines, Davao del Norte State College, Davao Oriental State University, Davao del Sur State College, and SPAMAST; as well as eight private higher education institutions, including host San Pedro College, University of the Immaculate Conception, Holy Cross of Davao College, Ateneo de Davao University, Philippine Women's College of Davao, Brokenshire College, Assumption College of Davao, University of Mindanao, Silliman University, and AMYA Polytechnic College.

Discussions centered on APUCEN's membership benefits, which include regional networking, capacity building in community engagement leadership, and access to collaborative grant and resource-sharing opportunities, building on the network's existing Philippine initiatives, including its rebuilding programmes in San Pedro following Typhoon Pablo.

The roundtable was also attended by APUCEN Executive Director, Dato' Dr. Aileen Tan Shau Hwai, FASc., who addressed participants' enquiries on the network's structure, membership process, and opportunities for collaborative engagement across the Asia-Pacific region.

APUCEN@Philippines Chapter was established in 2025 and currently comprises four institutional members. The future of the APUCEN@Philippines Chapter holds great potential and will surely continue to expand with the support of local agencies and institutions across the region. Initiated by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 2011, APUCEN is a regional network of 107 members from 21 countries, promoting university-community engagement in a proactive, inclusive, holistic, and participative manner.