MALAYBALAY CITY (BukidnonNews.Net/06 July 2025)—Earning a graduate degree is not the final triumph—it is the beginning of a greater responsibility to serve.
This was the central message of Dr. Miriam B. Fuentes, former OIC-Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region X, as she addressed graduates during Bukidnon State University’s (BukSU) Hooding Ceremony for Graduate Programs on June 16.
Combining theory with practice
Speaking before new holders of master’s and doctoral degrees, Fuentes challenged the graduates to rise above academic recognition and transform their scholarship into tools for real-world change.
“Research is not finished at defense. It only begins there,” she said. “You now bear the moral and intellectual responsibility to change the narrative.”
Fuentes, a longtime educator and higher education leader, called on the graduates to take on the role of scholar-practitioners—individuals who combine theory with practice, and who ground their research in community realities, policy relevance, and leadership with integrity.
In her keynote, Fuentes emphasized the importance of making research relevant and responsive—especially for under-served areas such as Bukidnon’s rural municipalities.
Rethinking innovation
“Our research must speak to our history, our communities, and our development challenges,” she said, citing examples like under-resourced schools in Kibawe and Talakag, as well as the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems.
She also urged the graduates to rethink what it means to innovate in education.
“Smart education is smart not because it is high-tech—but because it is human-centered, locally anchored, and globally responsive,” Fuentes said.
She encouraged the application of academic learning through mobile literacy programs, teacher training modules, and grassroots research hubs that directly address local needs.
“You are not just being hooded,” she said. “You are being handed a torch.”
Graduation rites
The ceremony, held at 1 p.m. at the BukSU Gymnasium, honored graduates from the Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Education, Master of Management, and Master of Public Administration programs. It formed part of a week-long schedule of commencement activities.
Other graduation rites were held as follows:
- College of Law – June 13
- College of Education & College of Technologies – June 17
- College of Arts and Sciences & College of Nursing – June 18
- College of Business & College of Public Administration and Governance – June 19
- Baccalaureate Mass – June 16