Guimaras State University and Mendel University in Brno Strengthen Partnership for Research, Mobility, and Sustainable Development

Novermber 14, 2026 -  BUENAVISTA, GUIMARAS, PHILIPPINES — Guimaras State University (GSU), formerly Guimaras State College, and Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic (Mendel-U) continue to deepen one of the Philippines’ most enduring university-to-university partnerships, built on student and faculty mobility, joint research, and cultural exchange.

The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018 to promote sustainable and productive academic collaboration — exchanging faculty, students, and researchers, and integrating learning programs across both universities.

Since then, the partnership has grown into a regular cycle of reciprocal visits, lectures, fieldwork, and joint research presentations.

What the collaboration looks like in practice

During Mendel University’s collaborative visits to Guimaras, Mendel faculty and students:

• Present their research to GSU faculty and students
• Join academic lectures and workshops alongside GSU counterparts
• Conduct fieldwork with local communities, farms, and institutions
• Participate in cultural exchange with GSU’s cultural groups and chorale

Research areas covered in the collaboration include:

• Forestry and sustainable forest management
• Tourism and ecotourism
• Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Food Safety and Food Security
• Agroforestry, landscape, and environmental science
• International development and sustainable communities

The delegation has historically been led by Doc. Ing. Petr Kupec, Vice Dean of Mendel University’s Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, who has helped organize student exchanges between the two universities since 2018.

A two-way partnership, not a one-way visit

The collaboration is intentionally reciprocal.

In 2026 alone, the exchange moved in both directions:

• In February 2026, a Mendel University delegation held an Academic and Research Collaborative Visit at GSU, with faculty and students from GSU’s College of Science and Technology participating.
• In September 2026, GSU leaders traveled to Brno, Czech Republic, including Dr. Rhea Joy D. Flora, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, for a research visit, and GSU President Dr. Lilian Diana B. Parreño for academic and research engagement.

That back-and-forth — Filipino scholars learning in the Czech Republic, and Czech scholars learning in Guimaras — is central to the partnership’s design.

How the partnership benefits students and faculty

1. Global exposure without leaving the classroom
GSU students learn directly from international faculty and peers, present alongside them, and gain experience in cross-cultural research communication.

2. Research that is grounded in real Philippine communities
Rather than purely theoretical work, joint research is conducted in Guimaras — in farms, coastal areas, tourism sites, and local government offices — giving students hands-on experience with real development challenges.

3. Faculty development
GSU faculty gain international research partners, co-presentation opportunities, and access to new methodologies in forestry, agriculture, tourism, and environmental science.

4. Stronger institutional standards
The partnership supports GSU’s internationalization goals — helping the university broaden its horizons, strengthen its research culture, and move toward global standards in higher education.

How it helps the Philippines

The GSU–Mendel collaboration contributes to national priorities in several concrete ways:

Sustainable agriculture and forestry
Joint work in forestry, agroforestry, and environmental science supports more sustainable land use, conservation, and climate-resilient farming practices — critical for island provinces like Guimaras.

Smarter, more sustainable tourism
Research on tourism and ecotourism helps local communities develop tourism that protects the environment while creating livelihoods, rather than tourism that depletes it.

Food safety and food security
Collaboration in food safety and security research supports safer food systems and more resilient local food production.

Future-ready graduates
Students who participate gain international exposure, research skills, and confidence to work in global teams — skills Philippine employers and graduate schools increasingly require.

Stronger Philippines–Europe ties
Through academic mobility, the partnership builds long-term people-to-people ties between the Philippines and the Czech Republic, and the wider European Union — opening doors for future scholarships, Erasmus+ mobility, and research funding.

A model for internationalization

For GSU, the partnership proves that a provincial state university can build a sustained, research-driven global partnership — one that benefits students, faculty, local communities, and the country, Mr. Jim Salonoy said

As both institutions continue the collaboration, the focus remains the same: research with purpose, exchange with mutual respect, and education that serves both Guimaras and the wider Philippines.

RPConnect Welcoming the Delegates from the Czech Republic (From left to right)   Petr Kupec, Vice-Rector for Strategy and Sustainability of  Mendel University in Brno; Martin Klimanek, Rector of Mendel University in Brno; Noubikko Ulanday, CEO of RPConnect; Jim Salonoy, Senior Relations Officer and Business Analyst of RPConnect.

About Guimaras State University
Guimaras State University is a public higher education institution in Buenavista, Guimaras, Philippines, committed to accessible, quality education, research, and community service.

About Mendel University in Brno
Mendel University in Brno is a public university in Brno, Czech Republic, with a tradition of excellence in teaching and research since 1919. It is named after J.G. Mendel, the founder of modern genetics.

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