Sultan Kudarat — Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU) hosted the First Organizational Meeting of the Sultan Kudarat Higher Education Consortium (SKHEC) on September 22, 2026, at the SKSU Board Room, bringing together public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) in the province to establish a collaborative network for academic, research, and extension initiatives.
The proposed consortium is envisioned as a non-stock, non-exclusive, and voluntary network that will promote collaboration while respecting the autonomy, administrative independence, and academic freedom of its member institutions. Its formation is aligned with Republic Act No. 7722, or the Higher Education Act of 1994, and Republic Act No. 8292, or the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, and supported by relevant Commission on Higher Education (CHED) policies on research, innovation, extension, and quality assurance.
During the meeting, participating HEIs discussed the rationale, objectives, governance structure, membership qualifications, and priority activities of the consortium. An Interim Technical Working Group (TWG) was also created to finalize the proposed guidelines, implementation timelines, and other action items leading to the formal establishment of SKHEC.
Among the proposed areas of collaboration are joint research, faculty and student exchanges, shared institutional resources, instructional material development, and academic, cultural, and sports activities. Flagship initiatives include the Sultan Kudarat Collaborative Research Program, the Annual SKHE Research, Innovation, and Extension Expo, and a Provincial Research and Extension Partnership Framework involving the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat, SKHEC, and external research partners.
Anchored on the tagline “Connecting Institutions. Sharing Knowledge. Advancing Sultan Kudarat,” the consortium seeks to strengthen higher education collaboration and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development in the province. The next steps include the finalization of the consortium charter and the formal signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among participating HEIs.
