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FICS Dean, Dr. Roberto Figueroa, Jr. (third from right) and his mentee, Mr. Liam Iñaki Gillamac (rightmost), pose with ECTI-CON 2025 session chairs, Dr. Budi Halim Santoso of Duta Wacana Christian University, Indonesia, and Dr. Matsunori Makino of Chuo University, Japan along with other presenters from Chulalongkorn University. At the forefront of immersive technology in education, Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa, Jr., from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), delivered an insightful presentation during the parallel and tutorial sessions of the 22nd International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications and Information [...]

In a continued effort to foster cross-cultural dialogue and artistic exchange, students and educators from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Meiji University, and Kansai University came together for a two-part collaboration series under the Philippines and Japan Collaboration and Exchange 2025 initiative. Spearheaded by the Education Committee of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) student organization, Kathaang Ugnayan ng Likhain, Talastasan, Obra’t Ulat (KultOU), the events showcased creative workshops and research presentations that highlighted the transformative power of the arts in building mutual understanding. When Fashion Meets Poetry: Meiji and UPOU Students Share Creative [...]

June 25, 2025 — The University of the Philippines Department of Broadcast Communication (DBC) held a curriculum workshop at the University Hotel, UP Diliman, aimed at rethinking academic strategies for a rapidly transforming media landscape. Among the invited speakers was Assistant Professor Raz dela Torre, who shared his insights on current media trends, content development, and industry challenges from both creative and educational perspectives. Assistant Professor Raz dela Torre discusses the current state of the entertainment industry, including its latest trends and pressing issues, with members of the Department of Broadcasting and Communication, UP Diliman. Entitled “What’s [...]

Three faculty members from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the UP Open University have been selected to participate in the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and University of the Philippines (UP) Doctoral Collaboration Program.They submitted their dissertation topics and proposals to their respective programs which were subsequently approved by the relevant academic units at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Assistant Professor Cecille Moldez has begun pursuing her research on data analytics and visualization under the UTS Transdisciplinary School, beginning May 2025. On the other hand, Assistant Professor Joyce Mae Vega will be working on her [...]

As part of the research mentoring process, Professor Jean A. Saludadez of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University, together with Dr. Christine Faith Avila of the Ateneo de Davao University, a Doctor of Communication (DComm) dissertation mentee of Professor Saludadez, participated at the 41st Annual Qualitative Analysis Conference held from 18 to 20 June 2025 at the Delta Hotels Quebec, Old Quebec City, Canada. With the theme The Temporality of Lived Experience and Everyday Lives, the conference brought together scholars and practitioners from around the world to share insights [...]

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), in partnership with the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) and UPOU University Student Council, celebrated the 117th founding anniversary of the University of the Philippines with a hybrid community art and cinema experience entitled: “Panahon, Panoorin, Paggunita” on 18 June 2025 at the Centennial Center for Digital Learning (CCDL) Auditorium. Headed by FICS Asst. Prof. Shari Eunice T. San Pablo, Program Development Associate for Culture and the Arts, the participatory drawing event aims to engage students, faculty, and staff to watch a Philippine film selection and create illustrations in [...]

Hannah Gabriella Macaldo, a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) student from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), is the first UP student to participate in the Training Program for Trans-Pacific Bridge Persons (TP-BRIDGE) student exchange program at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). Selected through the Mobility for Vigor and Excellence – University of the Philippines (MOVE-UP) Program, Macaldo is currently enrolled at TUFS for the Spring 2025 term, from 1 April 1 to July 21, 2025. Her participation reflects the growing involvement of UPOU students in international academic exchanges as part of the University’s [...]

Eight alumni of the Doctor of Communication (DComm) Program and an alumna of the Master of Development Communication (MDC) Program, all mentored by DComm Chair and Professor, Dr. Jean A. Saludadez, as part of the mentoring process, presented their graduate research at the Communication as Constitutive of Organization (CCO) Preconference of the 75th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference. The preconference, themed “Disrupting and Consolidating CCO Research: Moving Together in Different Directions” was held on 12 June 2025 in Denver, Colorado, USA.The papers  were organized under two thematic panels, one focusing on general explorations of the CCO framework, and the [...]

Associate Professor Reinald Adrian Pugoy and Assistant Professor Blancaflor Arada from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), served as resource speakers during the AI Summit organized by the College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS) of Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) on 11 June 2025. The summit, titled “Redefining Intelligence: What It Means to Be Human in an AI World,” was held as part of the institution’s CCIS Month 2025 celebration, which carried the theme “Celebrating Computational Innovations and Sustainability.” Dr. Pugoy (in blue coat) poses with the MCL [...]

The Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) conducted a two-day hybrid Proposal Revision Workshop last 10-11 June 2025 at the UP Open University Oblation Hall. The workshop was done to refine the proposed curriculum for a new graduate program: the Master of Data Science (Sustainability). Associate Professor Dr. Ria Mae Borromeo, the MIS Program Chair, led the workshop, which was actively participated in by faculty members Associate Professor Diego Maranan, Associate Professor Reinald Adrian Pugoy, Assistant Professor Katrina Joy Abriol-Santos, Assistant Professor Cecille Moldez, Assistant Professor Mary Kristene Clariño, and Assistant Professor Lei Kristoffer Lactuan. The team carefully [...]