The University of San Carlos received a smart classroom sponsorship from the USC Law Class of 1999. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the parties was inked on September 8, 2023 in the USC Law and Business School Building, Downtown Campus, Cebu City. 

USC President Fr. Francisco Antonio T. Estepa, SVD, Ph.D. thanked the benefactors and said that the donation would be a good legacy for the USC College of Law and for its students. “This is very important because it will show how technology will be used in our teaching-learning process,” he shared. 

Meanwhile, Atty. Joseph Ladion, on behalf of the USC Law Class of 1999, also expressed his gratitude to the University. “USC Law is amazing and we are doing this because we are very grateful and we are happy to be part of this institution.”

According to the College of Law, the smart classroom will be designed to simulate a law firm setting. The law office simulation classroom can be considered as a first of its kind in the Philippines and it will be available to USC Law students after its inauguration. 

With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), USC Law aims to strengthen its students’ soft skills by providing them with classes and classrooms that can make holistic legal education possible. As such, this project is part of the University’s thrust to make its law graduates work- and life-ready.

Aside from the required Bar subjects, USC Law has incorporated skills courses in its curriculum which includes negotiation, critical thinking, and research skills, among others. 

Now that USC Law is starting to provide transformative and innovative classroom settings, its students can better experience different aspects of legal work. 

When asked about his message to current USC law students, Atty. Ladion emphasized the importance of ethics, especially in the field of law. 

“It is about doing the right thing, the right way. If we follow that principle and if we follow the right path, then we are moving towards the right direction.”The smart classroom donation is part of the USC R.I.S.E. Campaign, a university-wide fundraising initiative that aims to continue the Green and Gold Legacy by investing in research, infrastructure, and scholarship endowments.

by Syrine Gladys Podadera