Enderun Colleges appoints new president

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez, Dean of the College of Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship, has been named president of Enderun Colleges. He succeeds Javier Infante, co-founder of Enderun, who now serves as the college’s chairman.

“As we look ahead, we are excited by the prospect of further growing the College, not just in headcount but in recognition and quality.  Investing in a college education is one of the most important decisions a young man or woman will ever make, and we as educators must continue to strive for excellence in everything we do to prepare our current and future students for what lies ahead,” Mr. Infante said when he made the formal announcement of the appointment of Rodriguez.

As president, Dr. Rodriguez looks forward to several milestones happening at Enderun Colleges this school year. “In line with our new degree offering Bachelor of Science in Information Systems, we will launch the computer lab of the future as we finish the construction of our new building by the fourth quarter of 2013.”  The new building will also house the basketball court, gym, library and more classroom space for the growing student population of Enderun Colleges.

This year, Enderun’s industry partners grew to 254 companies offering internship and employment opportunities to the students.  Dr. Rodriguez, who considers internship as the most important component of Enderun’s curriculum, explains how going out of the four corners of the classroom helps students to think critically. “In our programs, we recommend two internships per student, where they have to integrate the knowledge they have absorbed from their other subjects into one. It is a way of maturing for them—by getting out and being on their own. It’s where they are able to use their own judgment without the teacher presence.”

Before his appointment as president, Dr. Rodriguez has been with Enderun Colleges since 2009 and has helped the school develop programs for the College of Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship. He received his doctorate in Management Sciences and Statistics from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He also became an Associate Professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, the Virginia Polytechnic University and the American University and served as the Head of Institutional Budget Integration and Information Unit for 20 years in the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Prior to his retirement in 2009, he spent 16 years in Asian Development Bank as the Executive Secretary to the Development Effectiveness Committee of the Board of Directors.

Enderun Colleges is a four-year undergraduate college that offers a full range of bachelor’s degree and non-degree programs in the fields of international hospitality management, business administration, entrepreneurship, and information systems. The college also offers workshops and short courses through Enderun Extension, and Restaurant 101, Enderun’s application restaurant recognized as one of Asia’s finest restaurants by the Miele Guide.