On February 3, 2024, the Mindanao State University at Naawan (MSUN) welcomed Prof. Eva Froneberg, a Research Associate at the Center for Conflict Studies, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany. Prof. Froneberg, who is currently working on her Ph.D. dissertation in the Philippines with a focus on peace and conflict studies, conducted an interview with MSUN Chancellor Dr. Elnor C. Roa. The discussion revolved around the university's research and extension programs, particularly those related to peace and development.

Accompanying Prof. Froneberg were representatives from the MSU-IIT Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM), further strengthening the discourse on initiatives promoting peace and conflict resolution. The engagement provided an avenue to highlight MSUN’s contributions to academic research and community extension services aimed at fostering sustainable peace in Mindanao.

In a related development, Assoc. Prof. Desheree Judena Preciado, Gender and Development Coordinator and IPDM Director of MSU at Naawan, has been invited to participate in the prestigious Erasmus Mundus program. She will attend an Erasmus Mundus Activity at Philipps-Universität Marburg from April 1 to July 31, 2025. Assoc. Prof. Preciado, currently pursuing her Ph.D. at MSU-IIT under the Sustainable Development Studies (SDS) Peace and Conflict Transformation Track Program, was selected for the Erasmus Mundus initiative as part of MSU-IIT’s participation in the prestigious program.

Recognizing the significance of such international collaborations, Chancellor Roa expressed interest in exploring potential partnerships between MSU at Naawan and the Erasmus Mundus Program. Establishing linkages with Erasmus Mundus could pave the way for academic exchanges, joint research projects, and capacity-building initiatives that would further enhance MSUN’s role in peace and development studies.

This visit and the upcoming participation of Assoc. Prof. Preciado in the Erasmus Mundus Program mark another step forward in MSU at Naawan’s mission to contribute meaningfully to peace and development in Mindanao and beyond.