Caraga State University (CSU) was represented on the international stage at the
International Conference on Internationalization of Higher Education, held in late
January in Guwahati, Assam, India, through the participation of Dr. Jeffrey Dellosa, Vice
President for Research, Innovation, and Extension. The event was organized with the
support of the Commission on Higher Education of the Government of Assam, an
institution comparable to CHED in the Philippines.
Dr. Dellosa was invited to deliver an address entitled โAdvancing Global
Collaboration in Research and Innovation: Pathways for Joint Development in
Higher Education,โ where he shared CSUโs experiences, strategies, and perspectives
on building meaningful international partnerships in research and innovation. His
participation highlighted CSUโs growing engagement in global academic networks and
its commitment to aligning local relevance with global impact.
The conference gathered at least 40 international resource speakers from Asia, Europe,
and the United States, creating a dynamic platform for dialogue and knowledge
exchange. The program was organized into two major tracks: (1) Technical disciplines,
particularly Engineering and ICT, and (2) Arts, Humanities, Science, Social Sciences,
Commerce, and Managementโunderscoring the multidisciplinary nature of
internationalization in higher education.
Despite initial concerns related to travel logistics and health risks at the time, Dr. Dellosa
proceeded with the trip following medical advice and the encouragement of the
conference organizers. The experience proved to be both professionally and personally
enriching, offering valuable opportunities to engage with diverse academic leaders and
to present CSUโs research and innovation journey to an international audience.
The invitation to participate came from an internationalization director of a higher
education institution in Assam, whom Dr. Dellosa had previously connected with during
an IEEE conferenceโdemonstrating how sustained academic networking can lead to
meaningful global collaborations. All expenses related to participation in the conference
were shouldered by the Government of Assam.
The conference aimed to serve as a knowledge-convergence platform to situate the
implementation of Indiaโs National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 within a global
comparative framework. It sought to strengthen inter-institutional linkages, foster mutual
learning between Indian and international universities, promote best practices in
multidisciplinary and holistic education, and encourage sustainable academic
partnerships. These objectives strongly resonate with Caraga State Universityโs own
aspirations in advancing international collaboration in research, innovation, and
extension.
Discussions during the conference were further enriched by insights into Indiaโs growing
innovation performance. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, India ranks 38th out of 139 economies, a
significant rise from 66th in 2019, while the Philippines ranks 50th. India is now the top-
performing nation in Central and Southern Asia and among lower-middle-income
economies, earning recognition as an โinnovation overperformer.โ Key drivers of this
progress include its world-leading ICT service exports, a vibrant startup and venture
capital ecosystem, and the presence of four top-100 global innovation
clustersโBengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai.
CSUโs participation in this international forum reinforces the Universityโs commitment to
strengthening global partnerships and positioning itself as an active contributor to
regional and international conversations on higher education, research, and innovation.
