GBSEALD hosts first "Leading for Mission" leadership conversation on future of Jesuit Education

Upon the invitation of Fr Roberto "Bobby" C Yap SJ, University President, Ateneo de Manila University's Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design (GBSEALD) held the first module of its "Leading for Mission" top-leadership conversation at the Mirador Jesuit Retreat House in Baguio City last 7 to 9 March 2025.

"Leading for Mission" is envisioned as board formation and is offered to interested board members of the Jesuit universities in the Philippines. It aims to provide university Trustees and other executive leaders opportunities to reflect and converse about the meaning of Ignatian leadership and governance in our universities while also giving them an avenue to interact with each other to foster collaboration.

This first module was titled "Discerning the Futures of Jesuit Education: Conversations About the Mission" and was conducted by GBSEALD's Research Institute for the Futures of Education (RIFE) and the Lily Gokongwei Ngochua Leadership Academy. In attendance were the members of the board of trustees of the different Ateneo schools.

The goals of this module were to engage the participants on key ideas about the brand of discerning leadership entailed by the mission of Jesuit education, to give them a nuanced understanding of the rapidly changing landscape of Philippine education and way to having any growing uncertainties, and finally, to provide their institutions with the lenses to examine their respective plans in light of the emerging shifts to discern gaps and opportunities in future-readying Philippine Jesuit Education. 

The program of the module was based on the “Leading with Depth” approach to Ignatian Leadership and has been designed to provoke the participating trustees to think and talk about today’s mission of Jesuit education through the twin lenses of Ignatian Discernment and Strategic Foresight. To enable this, each session started out with a topic for conversation for the participants to connect with their own context.

The first day's session was an "Orientation to Leading for Mission" as well as a discussion of the "Leading with Depth" approach to Ignatian Leadership and of Ignatian discernment. 

On the second day, the sessions focused on "Discerning Foresight: Futures Thinking for the Mission," where the participants were challenged to imagine various future scenarios of Jesuit education in the Philippines.

On the final morning, the participants got together per institution for a planning and sharing session where they were given a chance to apply what they learned.

Following each session, the participants split up into small groups for sharing before convening for a plenary discussion.

In attendance from Ateneo de Manila University were University President Fr Bobby Yap SJ, Dr Anna Marie Karaos, Fr Antonio Basilio SJ, Mr Manolito Tayag, Ms Bernadine Siy, Dr Chito Salazar, Dr Fernando Aldaba, Mr Iggy Sison, Engr Ramby Nolido, Atty Charlie Yu, and Fr Joe Quilongquilong SJ.

Ateneo de Naga University's board was represented by its President Fr Aristotle "Ari" Dy SJ, Mr Michael "Mike" Calleja, Mr Magno Edilberto R Conag III, Fr Frank Savadera SJ, Dr Czarina "Bopeep" Saloma-Akpedonu, and Ms Gemma Rita Marin.

Attending from Ateneo de Zamboanga University's board were Fr Guillrey Anthony "Ernald" Andal SJ, Ms Ruth Yu-Owen, Fr Manny Uy SJ, and Mr Pedro Rufo "Pocholo" Soliven.

Finally, from Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu's board were Fr Michael I Pineda SJ, Mr Stephen Tan, and Fr Gilbert Emmanuel "Nono" Levosada SJ.

Facilitating the event were GBSEALD Dean Fr Johnny C Go SJ, Dr Achoot Cuyegkeng, Ms Marite Irvine, and Mr Jeanrick Nuñez.

In addition to the sessions, each day was also punctuated with a Mass. Fr Ernald Andal SJ, Ateneo de Zamboanga President, presided over the Mass on the opening day; followed by Fr Ari Dy SJ, Ateneo de Naga President, presiding the following day; and finally Fr Bobby Yap SJ, Ateneo de Manila University and Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific President, presiding on the closing day.