Ubuntu opens at Arete

ATENEO DE MANILA University’s (ADMU) Arete formally opened its main plaza which will be called the Ubuntu Space. The link that will connect Arete’s arts and innovation wings is sponsored by the UnionBank of the Philippines.
An African word which means “humanity,” or “belonging through collaboration,” Ubuntu Space can be a venue for town-hall meetings, exhibitions, and launches.
ADMU’s Arete is the creative hub for students where they can develop their thinking, creativity, and ideas.
UnionBank chairman Justo A. Ortiz, an Ateneo alumnus, said in a statement that the bank has always supported “out of the box innovation” and expects the partnership to be a “mutual benefit to all involved,” meaning the students, the school, and the bank.
Prior to this particular partnership, UnionBank HR director Michelle Rubio said it had partnerships with Ateneo, including the Design Thinking workshops where students are asked to conceptualize and innovate human-centered creations.
“It’s important to have connections between the academe and the private institutions, not just about the arts, but about our broad capabilities for learning and keeping up with innovation in education,” Ms. Rubio told ����ý at the sidelines of the quick Ubuntu unveiling.
Outside Ateneo, UnionBank is “friendly to all schools” said Mr. Rubio. For instance, it has a Hackathon program that started in 2016 where students and professionals all over the country are given “wicked challenges like themes on poverty, climate change, and agriculture” and the student have to come up with a solution, a prototype, within the next 24 hours.
UnionBank is banking on “the creativity of the Filipinos,” said Ms. Rubio. — NFPDG