Guimaras State University (GSU) participated in the 11th Cohort SEA Teacher Programme Evaluation Meeting on October 20, 2026, and the Southeast Asia Conference on Pre-Service Teacher Education: Advancing Policy, Research, and Regional Collaboration in Teacher Education, held on October 20–21, 2026, to contribute to regional discussions on strengthening teacher preparation and cross-border academic cooperation.

GSU was represented by Dr. Helen R. Vilbar, Director of International Affairs, and Dr. Jasmin T. Gadian, Dean of the College of Teacher Education. The engagements provided a venue for assessing the implementation of the SEA Teacher Programme and examining policy and research priorities that shape the preparation of future educators across Southeast Asia.

The programme evaluation meeting convened stakeholders to review insights from the 11th cohort, including feedback from institutional coordinators and pre-service teachers. The closed-door session focused on identifying effective practices, implementation gaps, and areas for improvement, with the aim of producing actionable recommendations for strengthening programme design, delivery, and outcomes.

The succeeding regional conference broadened the discussion to the structural concerns confronting pre-service teacher education. As education systems respond to technological shifts, increasingly diverse learner needs, teacher mobility, and demands for inclusive instruction, participants examined how teacher education institutions can better align curricula, practicum experiences, professional standards, and workforce requirements.

Discussions also addressed future-ready teacher competencies, clinical and field-based training, teacher educator development, digital and artificial intelligence-enabled preparation, quality assurance and accreditation, micro-credentials, and the continuity between pre-service education and in-service professional development.

Hosted by the Philippine Normal University and co-organized with REX Education and the Teacher Education Council Philippines, the conference brought together representatives from teacher education institutions, government agencies, universities, research communities, and regional education networks. Its agenda emphasized the need for more coherent and practice-oriented teacher preparation systems that respond to the varied educational contexts of Southeast Asian countries.

A central theme was the strategic role of the SEA Teacher Programme beyond student mobility. Through cross-border teaching practicum and institutional exchange, the programme can generate comparative evidence, test approaches to teacher preparation, and inform policy deliberations and institutional reforms. Insights from participating institutions can help bridge the gap between programme implementation and broader regional education priorities.