by:  Joycelyn P. Ituriaga

Three esteemed faculty members from the College of Business Administration of the University of the Cordilleras have successfully completed the Wadhwani Faculty Development Program. This intensive online training, designed to foster entrepreneurial mindsets among students, ran from January 16, 2025, to February 13, 2025, with daily sessions from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The program was packed with actionable insights, hands-on learning, and interactive sessions.

The training provided participants with real-world tools for teaching entrepreneurship, equipping them with the skills necessary to inspire and guide the next generation of innovators. The faculty members who completed this program are Anthony Vance B. Culaton, Joycelyn P. Ituriaga, and Rhodora Ann N. Ontal.

Awards and Recognitions

In addition to completing the program, Joycelyn P. Ituriaga and Rhodora Ann N. Ontal received full certification as Wadhwani Ignite Educators, awarded by the Wadhwani Entrepreneur Program (WE) of the Wadhwani Foundation on April 15, 2025.

Joycelyn P. Ituriaga was honored with the Academic Excellence Award for achieving the highest overall quiz score, demonstrating a profound understanding of the subject matter and exemplary learning performance.

Rhodora Ann N. Ontal received multiple accolades:

Best WEN Ignite Educator: Recognized as one of the most promising entrepreneur educators for her exceptional dedication and contribution to entrepreneurship education.

Outstanding Facilitator: Awarded for her excellence in teaching and her exceptional ability to inspire, engage, and empower students.

Faculty Reflections

Ma’am Rhods shared her insights on the program, stating, “It was such a great opportunity to be part of the Wadhwani Foundation's program on Technopreneurship. It really opened my eyes to new ways of teaching and using technology to help students become the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. Working with my CBA team, we learned how to create hands-on learning experiences where the platform becomes a key tool. It's a key resource for polishing startup ideas, helping us see the potential and spot any possible problems early on. Navigating the platform during the training presented initial challenges for me, a learning curve mirroring what my future students might experience. Indeed, continuous learning is paramount. Getting comfortable with the Wadhwani platform is something I know will take ongoing effort as it keeps evolving. Beyond mastering the platform, the ultimate goal is to empower future students to identify and solve real-world problems within their communities through technology and entrepreneurial thinking. This means creating a flexible curriculum that pushes students to apply what they learn to address local challenges, sparking that innovative spirit and a desire to make a positive social impact. Balancing my roles as both a teacher and a learner throughout this process has been fulfilling when I finished the program.”

Ma’am Joyce expressed, “Wadhwani is another platform that we can use to engage our students to be more innovative and combine this platform with other innovative platforms in order for us to have a tool to teach our students to be innovative, while being creative, and to have an opportunity to re-invent what we have before and now to have a sustainable future.”

Conclusion

The Wadhwani Faculty Development Program has provided these educators with invaluable tools and insights, enabling them to transform education and inspire the next generation of innovators. The College of Business Administration is proud of their achievements and looks forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on their students and the broader community. This initiative supports Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, by enhancing the quality of education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

/jpi