THE SILLIMAN University will establish the Dr. Mariano Lao Global Studies Center to offer short courses and certificate programs online.

SU said the establishment of the new center will enable students from anywhere in the world to experience the school’s “whole person education.”

The center was named after Dr. Mariano C. Lao, a 2018 Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee who pledged to donate P20 million for its facilities and equipment.

“SU aims to position itself at the forefront of international and online distance education by offering short-term, online academic programs through the Center,” the school said.

“The Center will also help expand the reach of SU’s existing academic programs through ICT-enabled strategies,” it added.

Programs that could be completed online, including short courses and certificate programs, will include new topics that are interdisciplinary and globally oriented to develop new competencies among learners.

The center also aims “to enhance and expand its partnerships and linkages as it plans to develop academic programs and courses in collaboration with its network of alumni who are professionals in various fields, and its institutional partners in the country and abroad,” the school said.