To provide its students with a safe and conducive learning environment, Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU)-Manila inaugurated on Wednesday, Sept. 28, a world-class learning resource center inspired by a hit Korean drama as part of its 70th founding anniversary celebration.
Named after LPU’s former University President and Senator Sotero H. Laurel, the new Sotero H. Laurel - Academic Resource Center (SHL-ARC) is a four-storey building that houses modern facilities designed to make learning more interesting and enjoyable for its students and alumni alike.
University President Roberto Laurel and Assistant Vice President for Non-Academic Operations Paolo Sotero Laurel led the inauguration which was also graced by outstanding LPU alumni as guests of honor including Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo (BS Economics ‘77) and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia (AB Political Science ‘92 and Bachelor of Laws ‘97).
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Prospero De Vera III, who served as the former Head of Research of the Office of the late senator, was also present during the inauguration of the new academic resource center.
The current LPU president, in his opening remarks, said that the SHL-ARC is a “fitting tribute” to the late SHL as a recognition of his lifelong passion for excellence.
His father, Laurel said, nurtured LPU through its early years of birth to become “one of the highly reputable institutions of higher learning in the country.”
Meanwhile, Gesmundo and Garcia expressed hope that the new SHL-ARC will become a place for students --- of the past, present, and the future --- who can continue to love learning.
De Vera, on his part, congratulated LPU for being a part of the “evolution” of learning.
“From places of solitude, the libraries have indeed revolved into places where individuals meet, discuss, and make noise,” De Vera said. “What we see now in Lyceum is part of that evolution of how learning evolves in an academic setting. I am honored and privileged to be a part of this evolution,” he added.
De Vera also recognized the efforts of universities such as LPU “in making sure the Philippine universities learn a lot” and are open to competing with the rest of the world.
World-class learning environment
Situated across LPU’s main campus at Intramuros in Manila, the new SHL-ARC aims to provide a world-class learning environment with wide creative spaces for its students, the Lyceans.
Whether for learning, research, or simply a “place that will start big ideas,” LPU said that the new SHL-ARC aims to be a safe and fun space that would nurture students’ love for learning.
Paolo Laurel, who spearhead the interior design of SHL-ARC, said in closing remarks that the new resource center was a “true labor of love.”
“Being involved in the conceptualization process that would give life and meaning to my grandfather’s commitment to producing competent, resilient, and globally competitive students,” he said.
Laurel said that while the new SHL-ARC was a “bold departure from the norms of what libraries look like in our country,” it is highly innovative --- in “both form and function.”
The SHL-ARC groundbreaking ceremony happened in 2017 during the 65th Founding Anniversary of LPU. The construction started the following year and continued during the pandemic break.
The new facility features a modern design and vibrant colors which aims to promote an inclusive learning environment.
It has a roof deck, a basement, and a parking area that can hold up to 45 cars.
On the first floor, there is a multi-purpose reading/activity area; an interfaith room; and a café.
The second also houses nine classrooms; a lounge or break area and a center for the technology-enabled education department.
Other library facilities include discussion/ meeting rooms; laptop and tablet stations; reading nooks; study and lounge areas as well as a courtyard.
The new SHL-ARC also features rainbow shelves; an electronic library; lockers; multimedia, circulation, reference, and reserve sections as well as theses and dissertations section.
Laureliana, a mini-museum dedicated to the life and legacy of LPU’s founder Jose P. Laurel and SHL, can also be found in the SHL-ARC.
Laurel explained that well-built environments --- such as the SHL-ARC --- have a “strong, positive psychological effect” on the behavior of its users.
LPU, he said, has been wanting to offer its students a “safe space where they can adopt modern methods of learning --- be it digitally or blended --- and of course, outside the four corners of the classroom.”
The new SHL-ARC is all that and more. “We incorporated features catered to all students of beliefs, types and persuasions,” he said.
With many areas to practice self-care and nurture their mental health, Laurel believes that this “K drama-inspired aesthetics and inclusive space would be conducive to learning.”
Laurel was referring to the 2020 hit South Korean television series “Start-Up” starring Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho, and Kang Han-na.
“We want to welcome our students by providing a beautiful library which was actually inspired by the Kdrama ‘Start Up’ we are so happy that the students really like it it's very inclusive, modern, young,” Laurel said in an interview.