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The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) formally opened the World Immersive Learning Labs Symposium (WILLS) 2026 on 4 March 2026 at the UPOU CCDL Auditorium in Los Baños, Laguna, bringing together international scholars, institutional leaders, and innovators in immersive education.  The symposium’s mission of exploring cutting-edge developments in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and metaverse platforms, encouraging participants to connect, collaborate, and rethink the future of education. The opening ceremony set an energetic and forward-looking tone for the three-day symposium. Hosted by UPOU faculty members, Asst. Prof. Raz Dela Torre and [...]

  Further advancing its commitment to internationalization and cultural dialogue, the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) participated in the Nihongo Fiesta 2026 held on 28 February 2026 at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Assoc. Prof. Roberto Figueroa Jr., Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), served as guest speaker during the 53rd Nihongo Speech Contest, one of its most anticipated highlights. In his address titled “糸 (Ito): The Invisible Thread That Weaves Hearts Across Borders,” Dean Figueroa the transformative power of foreign language learning as a bridge toward empathy, collaboration, and global understanding. He highlighted how [...]

  To equip young learners with foundational programming skills, Asst. Prof. Mary Kristene D. Clariño of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) led a three-day workshop on Scratch programming for participants of the Pre-JLFest 2026 Workshop.  The workshop introduced national and international students to Scratch, a visual, block-based programming platform widely used to teach computational thinking and creative coding. Drawing on her expertise in computer programming, Asst. Prof. Clariño guided participants through the basic concept and practical applications of the platform. On the first day, participants were introduced to key programming terms and concepts essential to understanding Scratch. [...]