AN OFFICIAL of Silliman University has been selected to join the 2026 DIES International Deans’ Course Southeast Asia, a competitive regional program aimed at strengthening higher education leadership.

Dr. Alana Leilani C. Narciso, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will represent the university in the year-long training program.

The course is organized by the German Academic Exchange Service, the German Rectors’ Conference, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, and the Centre for Higher Education under the Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies initiative.

Around 30 newly appointed deans and academic leaders from Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, will participate in the program, which is designed to equip them for the complex demands of faculty governance in a rapidly evolving academic environment.

The training will cover strategic and financial management, quality assurance mechanisms, and leadership development through case-based and practice-oriented approaches anchored on participants’ institutional experiences.

As part of the program requirements, each delegate will develop and implement a Project Action Plan in their home university, refining it through a series of workshops and guided sessions.

The program will run in three phases, beginning with onsite sessions in Germany in June 2026, followed by online engagements from August to October, and concluding with a final workshop in Malaysia in November. University officials expect Narciso’s participation to strengthen systems and practices within the College of Arts and Sciences.