Richard L. Lee Engineering and Technology Block inaugurated

The Richard L. Lee Engineering and Technology Block was officially instituted last January 18 as an addition to the developing DLSU Laguna Campus. In partnership with Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the block will be maximized through housing cooperative innovations of students and faculty.

Forward-looking Laguna Campus

While the DLSU Manila Campus has its esteemed programs, the Laguna Campus expands its educational reach by offering its own unique set of degree programs. DLSU President Br. Ray Suplido FSC highlighted in his opening remarks that “Laguna Campus is seen as the future of DLSU [that will] respond to the new challenges of the 21st century.”

Situated on the 50-hectare Laguna Campus, the new building caters to several engineering courses. Suplido also disclosed that other programs will also be occupying the block, such as the Animo Labs, which welcomes tech startups by supporting creators with patents and funding. Aside from this, the new facility also houses research laboratories that will cater to the College of Computer Studies.

Lee, Chairman Emeritus of HARI and himself an alumnus of DLSU, shared that he wanted to echo the mission of St. John Baptist de La Salle in educating young minds, believing that “knowledge not shared is stagnant knowledge.” Thus, he hoped that the new building would encourage innovation, adding that the block would stand “as a leading commitment to producing generations of Lasallians rich in knowledge and skills, but even richer in heart—putting their energy, talents, ambitions, and ideas to bring more greatness to our nation.”

Inclusive growth

Apart from being a testament to the University’s own growth as an institution, the new building also carries with it the hope of further improving nation-building. “What is happening here contributes to the University and the country,” Suplido asserted, explaining that the University has always looked into improving its quality by investing on resources that advance research and education so that it can be established in the “global stage.”

Ludwig Daza, Project Development Officer of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, said that the Laguna Campus is poised to capture emerging technologies and development. He cited the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 as an illustration of the low level of innovation in the country, primarily because the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem in the Philippines is still underdeveloped. By providing an opportunity for knowledge to emerge, he believed that developments in the Laguna Campus, such as the creation of the block, will contribute to the “formation of science and technology.”    

The Richard L. Lee Engineering and Technology Block upholds “inclusive growth” because, as Suplido highlighted, it serves as an avenue for students and faculty to cooperate with other companies, industries, and even the government in producing new knowledge.

With reports from Arden Bacallan