University Design Institute, De La Salle University of the Philippines partner to reimagine DLSU strategic vision

The University Design Institute and De La Salle University of the Philippines have partnered together to accelerate the strategic vision of one of the country's premier universities.

The project, which kicked off in August 2025, explores and refines key elements of DLSU’s strategic plan with an emphasis on long-term adaptability, digital innovation, entrepreneurial capacity and deep community relevance.

“I engaged with the University Design Institute at ASU for its reputation in creating inclusive, scalable learning systems," said Bro. Bernard Oca, DLSU President. "DLSU shares this vision by making education accessible to diverse learners without compromising excellence.” 

The first activity of the partnership is a Reimagine Workshop with the president and university leadership team. The workshop provides key outputs and potential directions support DLSU's future. The project will be lead by UDI's team in the Philippines, with expertise from around the globe.

“De La Salle University has been an extraordinary partner for the University Design Institute in the Philippines through our Higher Education Innovation Leaders Fellowship and Transformation Accelerator programs," said Minu Ipe, vice chair and managing director of UDI. "We are thrilled to deepen our collaboration with such an important institution in the Philippine higher education system and look forward to building on this important work together.”

The program officially kicked off the week of August 11 with a virtual session, and will continue through the end of September. From there, DLSU will take the report to drive its strategic vision forward. The ultimate goal for the program is to co-design tangible and viable recommendations for DLSU to advance its vision forward and make a deep and long-lasting impact on its community and its learners for years to come.

De La Salle University was founded in 1911 and is a private, Catholic, co-educational research university run by the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools. It has more than 13,000 students, with 73 percent of those undergraduates. With a central campus in Manila and additional campuses in Makati, Taguig and Laguna, DLSU is widely regarded as one of the major universities of the country alongside the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Santo Tomas.

A Deep Commitment to the Philippines and Southeast Asia

UDI initially began working in the Philippines as part of the U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning (UPSKILL) Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Philippines and led by RTI International. Through UPSKILL, UDI offered three core components: the Higher Education Innovation Leaders Fellowship, which graduated 16 leaders from 12 institutions and the Commission on Higher Education. Participating leaders gained new skills enabling them to become leaders as designers within their institutions and serve as ambassadors for change within their respective institutions. UDI also launched the Transformation Accelerator, which welcomed 12 teams from across the country to participate in a months-long accelerator program, where institutions would advance key initiatives for greater societal and community impact.

De La Salle University had two of its leaders participate in the Higher Education Innovation Leaders Fellowship: Dr. Jonathan Rivera Dungca, Vice President and Dean of the Laguna Campus, and Dr. Mary Jane Flores, Dean of the College of Science. In addition, it also submitted and was accepted for the Transformation Accelerator, with a program focused around an Innovative Entrepreneurship Program for Commercialization in Informal Sectors.

The UPSKILL program was abruptly shuttered in early 2025, however UDI’s commitment to the Philippines has not wavered. The new partnership with DLSU marks UDI’s first commercial agreement in the Philippines since the UPSKILL initiative was shut down.

“We have been inspired by the commitment of the higher education system, the Commission on Higher Education, and the many leaders and partners we’ve engaged through UPSKILL,” said Ipe. “UDI is committed to continuing this work. The Philippines remains a strategic priority for us, and while the landscape has shifted, our focus has not.”

To learn more about the University Design Institute’s work in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, visit udi.asu.edu/southeast-asia.