Saint Mary’s University (SMU) continues to advance sustainable development in education as Ms. Jones K. Liwan, research coordinator of the School of Teacher Education and Humanities, presented the research study “Bridging Global Goals and Local Learning: SDG Integration in Social Studies Instruction” at the Cagayan Valley Research Conference on ASEAN Studies. Co-authored by Dr. Kenneth L. Maslang, the paper was presented during the Zoom session on September 22, 2026.

The research conference was conducted as part of the regional celebration of ASEAN Month 2026, anchored on the theme “ASEAN Connect: Celebrating Unity in Diversity Through Education, Culture, and Innovation.” The study explores pedagogical strategies for embedding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into local Social Studies instruction, encouraging global perspectives through localized learning. By addressing key areas in human capital development, quality education, and regional integration, this presentation highlights SMU’s active engagement in regional research forums and academic discourse. SMU commends Ms. Liwan and Dr. Maslang for sharing their scholarly work with the academic community.