University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Chancellor Joane V. Serrano and Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) Dean Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. showcased how immersive technologies can contribute to meaningful sustainability education in their lecture at the 2nd Polish–Italian Intensive School on Energy Transition held in Katowice, Poland, on 23 October 2026.
Titled “Energy transition in the Asia-Pacific: Sustainability Communication and Immersive Open Pedagogies,” the presentation highlighted how immersive technologies can make sustainability education and science communication more accessible and participatory from a Global South perspective.
The discussion started with interactive questions on Philippine geography, providing necessary background information to the international audience composed of researchers, experts, professionals, corporate representatives, and public institutions from Europe and beyond.
The communicative roles of explainers, elucidators, and enchanters were then emphasized, demonstrating the importance of multi-level science communication in promoting a just energy transition.
Dean Figueroa (left) and Chancellor Serrano (right) present Sustainability Communication initiatives at UPOU
Dr. Serrano and Dr. Figueroa also showcased UPOU’s efforts in practicing sustainability, such as the Perma G.A.R.D.E.N. (Growing Appreciation Towards Resilience, Development, Entrepreneurship, and Nutrition) and its role in raising locally meaningful questions about energy, ecology, and the environment.
Energy transition-related projects from the Immersive Science Communication Open Laboratory (ISCOLab) of FICS were then showcased, demonstrating how immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and augmented reality (AR), can be used in science communication and sustainability education.
Lastly, the presentation emphasized how effective science communication is measured not merely by attendance and technology adoption but by the learning of communities, the questions they raise, the perspectives represented, and their access to knowledge.
The lecture was then followed by a demonstration in which students experienced AR applications using AR glasses.
From left: FICS Dean Dr. Roberto Figueroa Jr., UPOU Chancellor Dr. Joane Serrano, Prof. Tomasz K. Wojdacz, and Dr. Marcin Kraśniewski, organizer of the Polish-Italian Intensive School on Energy Transition in Katowice, Poland.
Co-organized by the University of Economics in Katowice and the University of Pavia, the international intensive school serves as a platform for students and scholars from different countries to engage with the crucial issues affecting sustainable energy in Europe.
Along with Dr. Serrano and Dr. Figueroa’s panel presentation at the International Academic Conference on Energy Justice and Energy Transition at the Museum of Metallurgy in Chorzów, Poland, the lecture demonstrates UPOU’s commitment to going beyond borders in unraveling modern technology’s role in addressing today’s most pressing concerns.
Written by: Jian Martin Tenorio
Edited by: Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa Jr.