From November 26 to December 9, 2023, eleven students from the School of Management and Information Technology – Analytics, Computing, and IT (SMIT-ACI) Cluster of the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde embarked on a two-week educational exposure trip to Wakayama, Japan, hosted by the Wakayama College of Global Business. The program was designed to immerse students in cross-cultural learning, global business practices, and emerging technologies while strengthening Benilde’s international academic linkages.
The delegation was composed of students from multiple programs, including 1 BS Information Systems (IS) student, 1 BSBA-Computer Applications (CA) student, 3 BSBA-Business Intelligence and Analytics (BIA) students, and 5 BS-Interactive Entertainment and Multimedia Computing (IEMC) students. During the fourteen-day trip, participants engaged in a wide range of academic and cultural activities such as Japanese language lessons, company visits to IT firms, and tours of key landmarks and theme parks, providing them with a firsthand appreciation of Japan’s technology-driven culture and disciplined work ethic.
The group was accompanied and supervised by three faculty chaperones: Mr. Jacob Catayoc (SMIT-ACI Information Systems Program), Mr. Peter Cayayan (SMIT-LME Human Resource Management Program), and Ms. Catherine Mojado (SMIT-ACI Associate Dean). Their guidance ensured that the educational objectives of the program were met, integrating Benilde’s values of innovation, inclusion, and global readiness throughout the experience.
The Wakayama Exposure Trip Winter 2023 reflected Benilde’s ongoing efforts to cultivate globally competent graduates by exposing them to international practices in information systems, analytics, and emerging technologies. Beyond academic enrichment, the trip fostered intercultural awareness, global citizenship, and collaborative learning—key competencies for future leaders in a connected world.
