CHED Chairman De Vera receives prestigious AsiaEngage Award

BY ASA MADALE

December 3, 2018

Chiang Mai, Thailand: CHED Chairman Dr. J. Prospero E. De Vera is this year’s AsiaEngage Recognition Awardee.  Presenting his award are top officials of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia – UKM, the permanent secretariat of the Asean University Network (AUN). (CHED Photo)

ILIGAN CITY: Dr. Prospero E. de Vera III, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), was conferred recently the AsiaEngage Recognition Award (AERA), and became the first Filipino to receive the prestigious award that recognizes and honors leaders of ASEAN and Asia who have made outstanding contributions toward distinguished excellence in university social responsibility and sustainability.

The award is given to one exceptional recipient once every two years. 

De Vera received the award recently at the gala dinner of the 4th AsiaEngage Regional Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In his acceptance speech, De Vera said: “The honor that you have bestowed on me today is both a source of pride, humility, and to some degree trepidation. Pride because you have allowed me to join the ranks of distinguished recipients who have received this honor. And humility and trepidation because getting this award requires filling up the large shoes of previous awardees and bestows a responsibility to do better the rest of your life.”

Dr. De Vera is recognized for his work as an educator, public servant and advocacy for community engagement that has contributed to the promotion of excellence in university social responsibility and sustainability.

“I would also like to receive this award in behalf of the Commission on Higher Education which I now chair, and the Philippine universities represented here tonight, the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, whose active work in the various networks under AsiaEngage helped make possible the achievements for which I am being recognized for, and for their own unique programs that manifest the commitment of Philippine universities to promote social responsibility and community engagement,” added De Vera.

The event is organized by the ASEAN University Network University Social Responsibility and Sustainability (AUN USR&S) which is composed of more than 40 leading universities and organizations in the region including top-ranking universities in Asia, i.e. the National University of Singapore, Universiti Kabangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Chulalongkorn University, and Universiti Brunei Darussalam. 

In the Philippines, the University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila University and De La Salle University are active members of the Network. (With story from CHED/RSP)