UNITED BOARD FELLOW. Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan's College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr Juliet Dalagan. Photo courtesy of The Crusader Yearbook 2016.

“I consider my role as a leader to be a God-given mission,” begins the profile of Dr Juliet Dalagan in the roster of this year’s fellows of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia.

Dr Dalagan, the dean of Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences, was recently named as one of 19 fellows comprising the United Board’s 2016-2017 cohort.

The XU dean joins other highly-accomplished leaders in higher education, representing a wide range of academic disciplines and administrative experiences across nine Asian countries and regions.

Now on its 14^th year, the fellowship sets to “implement a new program structure to enable an enriching experience in exploring the dynamics of higher education leadership and management.”

This year’s fellows will participate in a three-week intensive summer institute at Boston College in the United States; a two-to-four-month placement at an Asian higher education institution; and a one-week leadership seminar in an Asian country.

Dr Juliet: dean, scientist, and Zumba dancer

As the leader of XU’s College of Arts and Sciences, Dr Dalagan is responsible for the university’s efforts to strengthen research capacity, besides teaching chemistry.

She holds a PhD in Chemistry from Ateneo de Manila University and has a wide range of international experience, being a visiting scientist and researcher in the US, Taiwan, and Japan.

Called endearingly as “Juliet,” she has been with Xavier University for twenty years already and she believes that good leadership is about motivating people to achieve the mission, vision, and goals of every endeavor.

No matter how busy her schedule is, her United Board profile says, Juliet takes time to do Zumba and watch her favorite drama series.

Only four fellows from the Philippines were selected to be part of the said program and Juliet is the only one from Northern Mindanao.

Expanding perspectives

With the ASEAN Economic Integration and the implementation of the Senior High School program in the Philippines, Juliet is optimistic that the United Board fellowship will bolster her understanding on various educational systems and will hone her leadership skills.

Her profile adds: “She expects to expand her perspective on Christian leadership as a United Board fellow.”

This year’s fellows were selected from over 100 applications across 50 institutions. All candidates were nominated by the head of their respective schools in recognition of their leadership achievement and potential.

Since 2002, more than 180 fellows from over 50 institutions in ten countries and regions of Asia, have benefited from this program, and many of them have now assumed important leadership positions in their home institutions.

“This is by far our most competitive selection in the history of the Fellows Program, comprising the strongest pool of participants,” the United Board announcement reads.

“We looked for candidates who have proven records of leadership experiences, and who could demonstrate how this fellowship experience might help bring about changes to their home institution.” ∎