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    MMSU student organizations hold international webinar on COVId-19 risk communication

    While the Mariano Marcos State University, continues to ‘Expand External Linkages and Partnerships’ amid the new normal, its student organizations are also now conducting international virtual activities.

    This month, the Young Communicators’ Circle (Y2C) and the English Language Society (ELSoc) of the MMSU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) held international online webinars that discussed the role of responsible communication and the English language in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Both organizations invited foreign resource speakers and student-participants in their lecture sessions.

    The Y2C’s Young Communicative Human in Development (YouComManD) Congress held last May 3-7 were participated in by MMSU’s partner-universities: Duytan University in Vietnam; USCI University in Malaysia; Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA), University of Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA (UHAMKA), and the Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (UNDIKSHA) in Indonesia.

    With the theme “CommIMMUNEication: Safeguarding People and Bridging Distances amid the COVID-19 Pandemic,” the YouComManD congress was graced by Philippine Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan who served as the guest of honour and speaker.

    Y2C President Anna Sherina Mariñas said the congress topics include media and health literacies, responsible social media use, the journalism of today and the ASEAN context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Speakers include Dr. Sigit Ricahyono from UNIPMA and Dr. Farida Hariyati of UHAMKA. Other lecturers were Mr Mark Cashean Timbal, spokesperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC); Dr Alexander G. Flor, dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies of the University of the Philippines Open University; Mr Nestor Corrales, Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter and MMSU communication program alumnus; communication professors from University of Santo Tomas (UST), University of Northern Philippines (UNP) and MMSU; and, local online and broadcast journalists.

    Reaching more than 2,000 people with around 3,000 engagements, the webinar sessions were live-streamed on the organization’s official Facebook page .

    Meanwhile, the ELSoc’s English Language month last April 20-30 was composed of online lectures and creative competitions in line with the theme, “Empowering Societies for the Next Normal through the English Language.”

    Resource speakers were Ms. Annapoorni Anand of the Access Program in Hyderabad, India; Mr. Matthew Gleason, former English Language fellow at MMSU; and, Dr. Kadek Eva Krishna Adnyani of the UNDIKSHA. Mr. Rizaldy Mendoza of the Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Manila, an MMSU English program alumnus, also served as a lecturer.

    ELSoc President Maria Izza Viernes said the sessions tackled empowerment through storytelling in the English classroom, English in the 21st century and beyond, English for empowerment: the case of Bali, and language teaching interventions during this pandemic. The sessions were attended by ABEL students via Zoom.

    Dr Mee Jay A. Domingo, external linkages and partnerships director, expressed delight on these activities saying, “these events prove that MMSU students have also now imbibed the value of internationalization as a huge part of their holistic development.”

    Further, Dr Marivic M. Alimbuyuguen, college dean, commended Y2C and ELSoc, saying “the activities showcase the students’ hearts and commitment for MMSU as we all strive to go international.”

    ‘Expanded external linkages and partnerships is one of the University’s seven-point agenda, ACHIEVE, which targets intensified internationalization efforts.