The recent visit of Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan College of Nursing (XUCN) Dean Dr Mary Grace Malana Paayas and Senior Faculty Ms Jesusa Cagubcub Gabule, along with Mr Don Antonio Velez of the Xavier Ateneo Student Nurses’ International Program (SNILP), to St Mary’s College of Nursing in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan went beyond a simple academic exchange. It was a defining moment in XUCN's internationalization journey and a profound appreciation of a distinctive model of healthcare education. The delegation returned recognizing St Mary's as a beacon of educational excellence that perfectly synthesizes advanced professional specialization with an inspiring commitment to faith and service and faith that does justice.

What resonated most with Xavier Ateneo was the magnificent and profound exemplification of healthcare education driven by Catholic ideals and a deep-seated humanistic intention. Mr Velez deeply admires “the College’s philosophy which provides a vital departure from the traditional inclination of many Philippine Nurse training institution toward a purely medical standpoint… St Mary's champions a holistic and robust view, where care is directed to the person, making nursing care truly a social and relational profession.” St Mary’s approach is perfectly aligned with the Calista Roy Adaptation Model, focusing on assisting the individual patient as a whole system adapting to illness and, most importantly, on ensuring quality of life. This commitment to cura personalis is what Xavier Ateneo appreciates as the essence of dignified and holistic nursing care.

XUCN extends its appreciation to the sheer quality of St Mary's academic environment. Recalling her experience, Ms Gabule shares that “the top-notch faculty, coupled with state-of-the-art training laboratories, physical plant, and library, creates a rigorous and world-class setting for professional development.” This dedication to educational quality makes St Mary's the ideal partner for the Xavier Ateneo 2026 SNILP, which is strategically focused on Gerontologic Nursing. The College’s integration with St Mary's Hospital and its specialized facilities on palliative and aging care provides access to Japan’s unparalleled expertise in addressing the needs of an aging society.

The Xavier Ateneo delegation is deeply indebted to the College's Leadership and Administration for their visionary guidance and gracious spirit throughout the visit. Xavier University thanks key figures who drives the St Mary’s College mission, including Dr Yuichiro Ide, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors; Dr Mitsuo Katano, the recently installed President of St Mary's College; and Dr Saburo Ide, the Immediate Past President and Executive Director, Dr Nobu Ide, the Chancellor, and Dr Kiyomi Chikasue, the Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, along with the entire body of Professors of the College of Nursing, specifically mentioning Professor Eric Fortin and Associate Professor Tamaki Hatano, whose expertise and meticulous planning were invaluable to the XUCN delegation.

Xavier Ateneo appreciates how St Mary's spotlights the needs of the elderly, supporting them with restorative interests for quality of life under a shared directive: “Go to the people, walk with the people.” This unwavering focus on the most vulnerable members of society, the aging and the palliative, powerfully showcases the enduring concern for the last, the lost, and the least. This shared commitment to service deeply mirrors the Jesuit mission and Xavier Ateneo’s core. Dr Paayas shares that “The 2026 SNILP come January of next year, done through a collaboration with an institution like St Mary's College of Nursing stature, one that defines itself by competence, conscience, and commitment while prioritizing the humanistic over the purely clinical, is both invaluable and indispensable to us.” Xavier Ateneo’s College of Nursing can learn so much from St Mary’s College as it strives to fully imbibe and operationalize what is truly excellence in health care professions education that is both culturally relevant to the Asia-Pacific and unequivocally world-class.