University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Chancellor Dr. Joane V. Serrano and Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) Dean Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. explored opportunities for collaboration on online and immersive learning during their courtesy call to Dr. Peter Arnade, Dean of the College of Arts, Languages & Letters (CALL) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa), last August 4, 2026.
The meeting, which was also joined by Dr. Pia Arboleda, a faculty member from CALL and Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), served as a prelude to UPOU’s participation in the International Conference on Media in Education (ICoME) 2026, held at UH Mānoa from August 6 to 8, 2026.
UPOU Chancellor Dr. Joane V. Serrano (second from right) and FICS Dean Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. (right) met with UH Mānoa CALL Dean Dr. Peter Arnade (second from left) and CSEAS Director Dr. Pia Arboleda (left) to explore potential academic and research collaborations.
Among the potential areas of cooperation discussed were Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), immersive technologies, language education, and intercultural communication. The discussion also highlighted planned collaborative activities through the Immersive Open Pedagogies (IOP) Research Program of FICS, led by Dr. Figueroa.
Possible joint initiatives include developing and studying immersive virtual tours for language education and intercultural communication, in which learners in the Philippines, Hawaiʻi, and other locations can explore cultural and linguistic contexts remotely while interacting and collaborating with their international counterparts.
Through the IOP Research Program, the collaboration could generate insights on how virtual tours and immersive environments influence language learning, intercultural communication, learner engagement, and the experience of presence in digitally mediated international education. This effort bridges CALL’s expertise in languages, cultures, and area studies with FICS’ research focus on communication, open learning, and immersive technologies.
To promote intercultural understanding unbound by physical distance, the planned collaboration also seeks to integrate immersive experiences with COIL and other forms of virtual exchange through joint research, collaborative student projects, immersive cultural experiences, and virtual and extended reality learning environments.
The courtesy call preceded Dr. Figueroa’s guest lecture at CSEAS on August 6, 2026, on COIL and the Metaverse, in which he shared UPOU’s experiences with virtual exchanges and immersive environments to connect learners across diverse institutions and cultures. The lecture forms part of the activities surrounding UPOU’s participation in ICoME 2026.
Through the meeting, UPOU and UH Mānoa CALL were able to explore avenues for sustained collaboration while deepening academic connections between the Philippines and Hawaiʻi and developing innovative approaches to international and intercultural learning.
Written by: Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa, Jr.
Edited by: Jian Martin Tenorio