Dr. Alfons Jayson O. Pelgone, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science, Technology, and Mathematics (FSTeM) at the Philippine Normal University (PNU), recently concluded his participation in Part I of the prestigious DIES International Deans’ Course Southeast Asia (IDC SEA) 2026. The intensive executive program took place from June 15 to June 26, 2026, across two key academic hubs in Germany: Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and Freie Universität Berlin.
The DIES International Deans’ Course is a highly competitive program jointly managed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), Hochschule Osnabrück, and the CHE Centre for Higher Education, in coordination with regional experts in ASEAN. Financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the course targets newly appointed Deans and Associate Deans from Southeast Asia, equipping them with advanced competencies in university governance, strategic planning, and quality assurance.
Dr. Pelgone joined a select cohort of higher education leaders from across ASEAN to delve into six rigorous training modules. He was joined by four other representatives from the Philippines, with Dr. Gladys C. Nivera, Dean of the College of Teacher Development (CTD), serving as a regional mentor. Key programmatic themes covered higher education systems, conflict resolution, faculty management, and the implementation of internationalization strategies.
“The intensive training offered deep insights into structural frameworks like the ‘Governance Equalizer’ and strategic tools modeled by the German Centre for Higher Education,” Dr. Pelgone stated upon his return. “Benchmarking these practices against German institutions gives FSTeM a valuable blueprint for balancing academic self-governance with structural data metrics, ensuring our program offerings match rapidly evolving global and regional demands.”
A major deliverable of the executive training is the creation of an institutional Project Action Plan (PAP). Dr. Pelgone’s drafted PAP focuses specifically on STEM education initiatives within and beyond FSTeM. This project aims to establish robust internal quality loops, pilot Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) frameworks with ASEAN partners, and provide clear structural pathways for the ethical and technical integration of artificial intelligence in pre-service STEM teacher training.
With the successful completion of Part I in Germany, Dr. Pelgone will spearhead the initial rollout of the PAP at PNU. This will be followed by Phase II (online tracking and learning sessions) and Phase III (the final regional evaluation), which will take place in Malaysia in November 2026. His participation strengthens PNU’s continuing commitment to internationalization, sustainable academic leadership, and excellence in equitable STEM education.
