Dean Taylan served as a featured resource speaker in the Day 1 workshop, “Perspectives and Significant Practices on the Role of Universities in Advancing Social Entrepreneurship in the Last 5 Years of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

In her presentation, Dean Taylan highlighted UPOU’s mandate under Republic Act No. 10650, or the Open Distance Learning Act, particularly its role in promoting open learning and distance education and scalability towards democratizing access to education. She emphasized the university’s use of asynchronous digital infrastructure to reach learners beyond the limitations of physical campuses, as well as its efforts to share digital resources and training with other institutions.

She also presented UPOU initiatives that contribute to social entrepreneurship and community development, including the Associate of Arts in Digital Entrepreneurship (AADE) program. The program prepares students for further studies and careers as digital entrepreneurs, with a focus on developing entrepreneurial skills and creating impact through digital platforms.

Dean Taylan likewise highlighted OUgnayan, UPOU’s community engagement initiative, and OUgnayan Wednesdays, a weekly local market and community space at the UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. The initiative supports local livelihoods and micro-entrepreneurs while promoting public service, sustainability, arts and culture, and community engagement.

A key insight from her presentation was the importance of public service as an original and primary pillar of the university’s functions. Dean Taylan emphasized that public service forms part of UPOU’s higher education mission and is guided by collaboration, mutuality, reciprocity, and empowerment in working with communities, particularly marginalized groups.

Through these initiatives, UPOU demonstrates how universities can move beyond traditional academic functions and actively contribute to addressing social challenges, strengthening communities, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The SEAL Asia Conference brings together social enterprise practitioners, civil society organizations, development agencies, policymakers, businesses, and academic institutions to discuss critical pathways for addressing the digital divide, climate crisis, and women’s economic empowerment toward accelerating progress on the SDGs. 

Photo credit: Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA)

Written by: Dona Lyn M. Piamonte • Edited by: Larry N. Cruz

Sustainable Development Goals