Five students and one academic staff from the University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences Department of Speech Language Pathology participated in the Speech-Language Pathology International Network (SLP-IN) Summer School held at the University of Malta from August 18 to 25, 2024.
The SLP-IN, a global consortium of twenty speech-language pathology departments from fifteen countries across three continents (Europe, Asia, and America), hosts the annual summer school to foster international collaboration. Each year, an institution in the network hosts the summer school program, in which participants learn while making lifelong connections with different SLPs internationally.
This year’s event included 74 students from across the world. Among the participants are five students from UST– Mariela Anya Soriño, Kathleen Megan Torres, Emilla Andrea Coronel, Robert Anthony Bertumen, and Vinz Adrian Chan, along with academic staff, Mr. John Arden Romanillos, MHPEd, RSLP. UST proudly stands as the sole partner institution from the Philippines and is one of the only three Asian institutions in the network.
Out of the 20 participating institutions, the UST delegation’s achievement was particularly noteworthy. They secured the Best Curriculum Poster Award during the Curriculum Road Show, marking the second consecutive year that the university has won this prestigious award.
“The SLP-IN Summer School program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that opens doors for you that you will not be able to open anywhere else. The program inspires you to do what you love and pursue it with passion, knowing that every step forward brings you closer to your dreams,” said Robert Anthony Bertumen, one of UST’s delegates.
The program, featuring a series of workshops on various SLP topics, provided participants with both theoretical and practical knowledge such as advanced technology use in SLP, voice therapy instrumentation, and hands-on intervention for temporomandibular disorders. These sessions, led by faculty members from different universities within the network, equipped students with insights and skills beneficial for their future roles in the field.
“The workshops and topics we engaged in were truly innovative, offering us a global perspective that will profoundly shape our future as Filipino SLPs,” Mariela Anya Soriño, another UST delegate added.
Furthermore, the summer school program also emphasized the importance of building international connections. Participants were also allowed to socialize and interact with their counterparts from different countries, emphasizing the importance of fostering diversity and a global community.
UST’s participation in the SLP-IN Summer School highlights the university’s commitment to advancing speech-language pathology education in the country while enhancing its international presence. As one of the only four institutions in the Philippines offering a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, UST takes pride in being the only Level 1 Accredited PACUCOA SLP program in the country and having a 100% passing rate in the inaugural SLP board exams held in November 2024.
