The newly installed President of the Ateneo de Manila University, Fr. Roberto Yap, S.J. said that there is a need for the institution to reimagine, transform, and commit as it is faced with the impact of the pandemic on the country’s education system.
“I start my stewardship of our beloved Ateneo at this juncture in history. The coming days, months, and years will be critical to the future of our University, and we are all being called to work together to ensure Ateneo will continue to fulfill its educational mission,” according to Fr. Roberto in his first University President’s Address last 01 October 2020 at the Rizal Mini Theater of the Ateneo campus in Quezon City and streamed online.
In his speech, the new Ateneo President said that his primary goal is to make the University more resilient and responsive to change. He said that this resilience does not mean revert back to pre-pandemic practices, but agile adaptiveness to enable the entire Ateneo community to thrive amid the circumstances we are in.
One of the platforms that the University has used to show this brand of resiliency is the AteneoBlueCloud, the virtual campus and community of Ateneo. The AteneoBlueCloud was designed not just as a temporary or stop-gap measure, but is meant to enable the University to become highly adaptable to whatever eventuality the future may bring — whether education remains online, shifts to blended, or returns to in-person.
“We will endeavor to be at the forefront of innovation not just in education, but also in conducting research and creative work, outreach, and formation in multiple platforms. We will do this while still upholding, or even surpassing, the standards for academic excellence and integrity Ateneo has always been known for,” Yap added.
Yap’s second objective is to further the University’s commitment to integrating learning, faith, and service in their programs and partnerships that engage the entire Ateneo community. “Ateneo has always believed in the holistic formation of the person; it is a special commitment to guide each member of the community in their quest for overall growth.”
Yap also identified an increased engagement with the community, nation, and the world, as the third top priority of his administration. He said that the health crisis that we are in now has really underscored the immediate need to be more engaged with the world. As such, everything that the University does “should be directed to be in the service of the faith, in the service of others, in the promotion of justice and understanding, and in the caring for creation, our common home,” according to Yap.
As his administration sets out to fulfill these objectives, Yap affirmed that the Jesuit mission will continue to be their anchor. It will also be their guide as the University aims to reach new horizons in service. And with a renewed vision for the future, Yap said that the call to the entire Ateneo community is clear.
“We are being called to reimagine Ateneo de Manila’s future, in the face of complex and difficult challenges that lie ahead. We are being called to transform our institution and ourselves to be agile and responsive to change in creative, innovative and sustainable ways. And we are being called to strengthen our commitment to our faith, our mission, and to serving others, especially those at the margins of society, our guiding light as we navigate dark and uncharted territory,” Yap concluded.
More information about the Ateneo de Manila University may be obtained by visiting their website www.ateneo.edu.