Why Calsada?
Calsada R.S.D. aims to advance graduate legal education in the Philippines toward a more innovative, inclusive, and research-driven model by strengthening digitalisation, enhancing academic quality, and fostering institutional coordination to ensure broader access, stronger research capacity, and sustainable development.
Context
Law plays a central role in Philippine society
Legal education shapes political, judicial, and legislative leadership
5 HEIs offer master courses and 2 Phd courses in Law
LEB’s growing concern over quality: Revised Model Curriculum (order 24/2021) + National Legal Research Agenda (2023)
Challenges
Bar-centric legal education: lower importance to research, interdisciplinarity and social relevance
Focus on undergraduate legal education: policy gap
Unequal access to graduate legal education
Low levels of digitalization and connectivity, including on a digital approach to the teaching of law
Law Schools out of the debate for Digital Economy and Sustainable Connectivity (EU-ASEAN strategic partnership)
Three interconnected issues
Epistemological
An expanding vision of quality in legal education that strengthens the social role of law schools and promotes greater emphasis on research beyond bar preparation.
Digital Issue
A growing digital transformation supported by ongoing improvements in connectivity infrastructure.
Policy Gap
Progress toward the development of a national framework for quality graduate education and stronger, sustainable connectivity among legal education institutions.
What We Aim
To strengthen the quality of graduate legal education in the Philippines through research excellence, digital transformation, sustainable connectivity and a renewed societal role of Law Schools.
Research Excellence
Strengthening research capacity and embedding research-based approaches at the core of graduate legal education.
Digital transformation
Sustainable connectivity
Promoting equitable, resilient and sustainable digital connectivity to support education, research and international cooperation.
A renewed societal role of Law Schools
Reinforcing the role of Law Schools as key actors in social development, public policy and international legal cooperation.