The University of the Philippines Visayas welcomed  Dr. Umur Önal and Prof. Dr. Muhammet Türkoğlo, professors from the University of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (COMU), Turkey last March 23-30, 2025 as part of the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Program between UP Visayas and COMU which aims to exchange faculty members and students among the two schools.

The two professors conducted a 2-day lecture series last March 27 and 28 titled, “Aquaculture Innovations from Turkiye: Insights for the Philippines”. During the first day, Prof. Dr. Önal  gave a comprehensive review of the Turkish aquaculture sector, while Prof. Dr. Türkoğlo presented the hydrography and phytoplankton dynamics of the Turkish Strait system (TSS). On the second day, Prof. Önal  discussed marine fish larvae culture, marine fish larvae feeding and development and sea bream and sea bass hatcheries. 

These lectures were attended by faculty members and students of the university along with representatives from the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, fisherfolk community and the local government unit.

The professors also visited several laboratories housed in the university. With the Institute of Aquaculture (IA) director, Dr. Victor Marco Emmanuel Ferriols, they visited the UPV Regional Research Center and the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanology laboratories, including the Planktoniche laboratory. They were welcomed by Dr. Cristy Acabado. They also had the opportunity to see different samples of ongoing research experiments. 

They also visited the UPV IA Multi-Species Hatchery Complex in which they were joined by Mr. Alan Failaman, head of the hatchery complex; Dr. Rex Ferdinand Traifalgar, IA faculty; and Dr. Carmelo del Castillo, IA faculty and NIMBB director. They were able to see different research projects on bloodcockles, tilapia, catfish, shrimp and green mussels. They also went to the Institute of Fish Processing Technology with  Dr. Grace Palmos, University Research Associate I, as their guide on the walkthrough.

UP Visayas is part of the country’s higher educational institutions who are participating in the Philippines-Turkey Project with CFOS as the implementing unit. It was noted that UP Visayas and COMU signed a Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) for academic and cultural ties through joint research activities and exchange of faculty members, researchers and students last 2022. Former CFOS dean and currently Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap, served as witness to the MoU signing. This collaboration was part of a bilateral program of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) titled “Development, Academic and Exchange Programs among Universities in the Philippines and Turkey.”