On February 5, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., the delegation from the College of Life Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU), visited the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and held the opening ceremony of the KMU Namaxia USR Office in the Philippines on the 2nd Floor of the World Class Multimedia Production Building. The event, hosted by Remsce Pasahol, marked a significant milestone in the international USR partnership between KMU and UPOU.

    Distinguished participants from UPOU included Assoc. Prof. Aurora V. Lacaste, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez, Assistant to the Chancellor for VINTA. The ceremony highlighted the long-standing collaboration between the two institutions in education, social responsibility, and international engagement.

    During the opening ceremony, Vice Chancellor Aurora V. Lacaste and Dean Sodio C. N. Hsu of the KMU College of Life Sciences delivered keynote remarks, emphasizing the importance of USR and international higher education partnerships in promoting sustainability and social impact. Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez subsequently reviewed the history of UPOU–KMU collaboration, outlining their shared vision for cross-border education and community engagement.

    The ribbon-cutting and unveiling ceremony was jointly conducted by representatives from UPOU (Aurora V. Lacaste and Lorena Jean Saludadez) and KMU (Sodio C. N. Hsu, Wei-Yu Lin, Pei-Feng Liu, Wei-Ting Liao, and Yong-Chao Su), followed by a guided tour of the newly established office, formally inaugurating the KMU presence in the Philippines.

    The establishment of the KMU Namaxia USR Office in the Philippines signifies a new chapter in the KMU–UPOU partnership, strengthening collaboration in internationalized USR initiatives, digital and distance learning, and cross-cultural social engagement. As a leading open university, UPOU’s extensive expertise in distance education, multimedia content development, and digital learning platforms provides a strong foundation for mutually beneficial teaching collaborations and future international USR programs.

 Key Highlights 

1.Integrating KMU-BT with digital and distance learning collaboration.

2.High-level engagement ensuring sustainable, institutionalized partnership.