CPU School of Graduate Studies

24/09/2026

FEATURE | Struggle Toward Peace

“A Christian Perspective on Islamic Concepts of Jihad, Imam, and Islam in the Context of Mindanao Peace”

Author:
Rev. Dr. Jerson B. Narciso
Program Head, Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity
Faculty Member, College of Theology

𝐂𝐏𝐔 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 | Struggle Toward Peace

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18, NIV

As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. But how do we build peace with our Muslim neighbors in Mindanao? This study offers a path forward by listening deeply to Islamic liberation theology and discovering shared ground for collaborative peacebuilding.

What this study reveals:

Jihad is struggle, not just war. It has three levels: personal, verbal, and physical, with inner struggle called the "greater jihad." Armed struggle is only a minor, last-resort part of it. As Christians, we can recognize this as a call to examine our own hearts first before pointing fingers at others.

Faith must become action. Iman is more than belief; it is bound to righteous deeds. Faith that does not produce justice for the oppressed is not genuine faith. This echoes our own scripture: "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26).

Islam means peace, not exclusion. Islam comes from the root for salam, or peace. Read this way, it grounds cooperation with other faiths, not superiority over them. This invites us to see our Muslim neighbors not as strangers or rivals, but as fellow travelers seeking God's peace.

The three levels of jihad, from most to least emphasized, are personal (the struggle to purify one's own heart), verbal (speaking truth to an oppressive ruler, even at personal risk), and physical (defensive force, permitted only against active oppression, as a last resort).

The takeaway is clear: Christians and Muslims need not agree on doctrine to work together. The ummah, the community of faith, can include all who labor for the oppressed. Peace in Mindanao will not come from statements and dialogues alone. It has to be lived out in costly action.

Read the full study to see the shared agenda for Christian and Muslim peacebuilders in Mindanao.

23/09/2026

“From Complexity to Clarity: Demystifying Qualitative Inquiry”
A Webinar on Qualitative Research

Resource Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Reynaldo Gacho Segumpan

Date: September 26, 2026
Time: 1:00-2:30 PM

Registration link:
https://cpu-edu-ph.zoom.us/j/81575290775?pwd=1swFPsaadDtkrSoKuaLiY2SP2ugbEO.1

Zoom Meeting ID: 815 7529 0775
Passcode: 119849

Facilitated by: Doctor of Education Program Heads and Students

22/09/2026

𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Artificial intelligence is already transforming how we learn, teach, research, and work. CHED is setting a national direction to help Philippine higher education adopt it responsibly and harness its potential to improve learning, strengthen research, and make institutional processes more efficient.

Through CHED Memorandum Order No. 21, series of 2026, the Commission has established a national framework to guide 2,366 higher education institutions and 188,261 faculty members in the responsible use of AI – for the benefit of more than 5.8 million students.

This supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push to strengthen AI skills and promote the responsible use of emerging technologies as the country prepares Filipinos for future jobs and a more technology-driven economy.

READ MORE: https://ched.gov.ph/press-releases/850

19/09/2026

Congratulations, Qiao Xueqin (EdDCI) on successfully defending your dissertation.

18/09/2026

SGS Webinar Series |
Topic 1:
“The Mindset Matrix: Managing the Fear of Failure in Business”

𝐂𝐏𝐔 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱: 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Read the full story here: https://cpu.edu.ph/the-centralian-link/cpu-school-of-graduate-studies-conducts-webinar-on-the-mindset-matrix-managing-the-fear-of-failure-in-business/

18/09/2026

ATTN: Thesis & Dissertation Writers
CPU C.U.P.
via Zoom @ 3 p.m. today,
Sept. 18, 2026
To register, scan the QR code or click the link in the comment section.

The 𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐏𝐔 𝐂𝐔𝐏: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 featuring “𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬: 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧” will be held on 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 (Friday), at 3:00 PM via Zoom.

Join 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐬𝐚 𝐂. 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐚 as she explores the limitations of traditional journal-based metrics and introduces more fair, transparent, and responsible approaches to research evaluation.

📌𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Academic research is often evaluated through numbers such as Impact Factors and citation counts. This session looks beyond these traditional measures by exploring global initiatives such as the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), which promote more responsible and inclusive approaches to recognizing research contributions. Participants will also discover open-source tools that support transparent and equitable research evaluation and reflect on whether institutions should adopt existing global frameworks or develop their own approaches to research assessment.

📌𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
• Share personal observations on the limitations of Impact Factor and citation counts.
• Present movements promoting responsible research assessment.
• Demonstrate platforms that enable transparent and fair evaluation while promoting open science principles.
• Discuss adoption versus innovation by exploring whether institutions should align with existing movements or develop their own frameworks.
• Reflect on how research evaluation shapes scholarly behavior and incentives.

💻Via Zoom
📌 Open to CPU Faculty, Graduate School Students, and Researchers
📌 FREE Admission — Scan the QR code to register.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore fair and responsible approaches to research evaluation beyond traditional journal metrics. Discover global initiatives, innovative tools, and emerging perspectives that promote transparency, inclusivity, and open science. Register now and be part of the conversation!

18/09/2026

Congratulations, Shi Shuwen (DMPM) on successfully defending your dissertation.

17/09/2026

Mr. SGS
Candidate No. 7

𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩: https://forms.gle/6cRG6Z2zD3eyjAkQ8

17/09/2026

Ms. SGS
Candidate No. 7

𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩: https://forms.gle/6cRG6Z2zD3eyjAkQ8

17/09/2026

Congratulations, Centralian RSW Topnotchers!

Mr. John Marlou Salido (Rank 9) is a graduate of Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW), Batch 2026.

The CPU SGS community is proud of you!

🎉𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 to our Outstanding Centralian Topnotchers in the September 2026 Social Workers Licensure Examination!🎉

𝑻𝒐 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚! 💙💛