AN ASSISTANT professor from Silliman University has completed a summer program at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health at Heidelberg University, Germany.

Arsenio Bulfa, from the College of Agriculture, joined 23 junior researchers from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and South Asia in the program, titled “Enhancing Academic Qualifications in Teaching and Research in Global Health.”

Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the program included an online phase from August 7-26, 2024, followed by an onsite phase in Heidelberg from August 1-29, 2024.

Bulfa described the program as a practical training that enhanced participants’ understanding and skills through individual and group activities.

“The teaching methods encouraged active participation and were designed to stimulate thought, debate, and discussion. Ample time was also given for self-directed learning, along with feedback and coaching from facilitators,” he noted.

The curriculum covered topics such as creating an intercultural learning environment, participatory teaching techniques, ethics in human health research, and grant proposal writing.

Participants also visited DAAD headquarters, Deutsche Welle, GIZ, the United Nations in Bonn, and the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Social activities further promoted professional and intercultural exchange.

Bulfa is currently pursuing a PhD in Agronomy at the University of the Philippines through a DAAD scholarship, supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.