On 5 December 2016, 11 UPLB front liners who completed the
Kalinangan workshop series were given recognition during the graduation
ceremony conducted at the Makiling Hall, 2/F SU Building.
Kalinangan is a cultural exchange workshop conducted twice a
month by the International Students Division in order to help the university
front liners understand the culture of international students. ISD taps student
volunteers from the international community to conduct these workshops.
During the graduation ceremony, Dr. Portia G. Lapitan, Vice
Chancellor for Academic Affairs, thanked the international students for their
openness to share about their culture and their country. Furthermore, she mentioned
how UPLB would really want to be an academic institution that cultivates
exchange of culture through its various programs and services.
In the closing remarks of Dr. Nina M. Cadiz, OSA Director,
she acknowledged how the success of the workshop series was due to the efforts
of ISD, the support of the administration, as well as the participation of the
international students and the front liners.
Upon the program's launch on 19 September 2016, ISD has
conducted six workshops with the help of international students from Japan,
Czech Republic, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand.
ISD will continue to conduct Kalinangan during the Second Semester of
A.Y. 2016-2017 in order to allow more international students from countries
like South Korea, Cambodia, and India to impart their culture to the university
front liners.