THE COLLEGE of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences of the University of the Philippines Visayas made a milestone when it became the first university in the country to be granted the status of Core Member of the ASEAN Fisheries Education Network.

UPV said ASEAN-FEN Board and Core Members unanimously granted the elevation of the university from Associate to 10th Core Member of the esteemed organization.

The school added that this recognition was granted for its commitment “to academic excellence, regional collaboration, and sustainable development.”

Dr. Yeong Yik Sung, ASEAN-FEN Secretary of the Board and Director of the Institute of Marine Biotechnology and professor at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, announced this during the Opening Program of the 2023 International Fisheries Symposium organized by ASEAN-FEN last month.

“The University has been at the forefront of promoting interdisciplinary research, addressing regional challenges, and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of environment, fisheries, and natural resources,” Sung said.

“The University’s dedication to producing high-quality research that directly impacts the sustainable development of our region is truly commendable,” he added.

ASEAN-FEN Board also believed that with its core membership status, UPV could further “strengthen and enrich the organization’s efforts towards sustainable development in the fisheries and aquatic sectors.”

“By granting core membership to UP Visayas, we not only recognize its past contributions but also encourage and facilitate even greater collaboration and synergy among member institutions,” Sung said.

ASEAN-FEN is a university-based consortia of fisheries and aquaculture institutions in the Southeast Asia aimed to support and enhance the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sector through education, research, and public outreach.

The other nine ASEAN-FEN Core Members include Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (Malaysia), Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia); Can Tho University (Vietnam), Nong Lam University (Vietnam); Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia), Universitas Brawijaya (Indonesia); Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (Thailand), Prince of Songkla University (Thailand), and Kasetsart University (Thailand).

Currently, there are 17 associate institutional members from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

The six associate member fisheries schools from the Philippines are Central Luzon State University, Pangasinan State University, Mindanao State University-Maguindanao, Mindanao State University Naawan, Visayas State University Tolosa, and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University.