FEU, Map Put Mentorship at the Center of Student Internships 

Internships are often the first point at which students must translate classroom learning into professional judgment, communication, and accountability. Far Eastern University (FEU) and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) are making this transition more deliberate through professional preparation, mentored placements, and continuing guidance. 

Under the MAP-HEI Structured Internship Program, FEU students will gain access to internship opportunities with participating MAP member companies. The business leaders and professionals behind these organizations will serve not only as hosts but also as mentors who can help students understand workplace expectations and apply what they have learned in professional settings. 

“An internship should provide more than exposure to a workplace. It should help students understand how their knowledge, values, and abilities translate into meaningful professional contributions,” said Vannesa Grace Cabiedes, Director of FEU’s Career Development and Placement Office (CDPO). “By engaging MAP members as internship hosts and as mentors, we can give students a guided learning experience that connects academics with professional growth.” 

Far Eastern University Vice President for Career Development Raquel Baquiran (seated, right) and MAP member Jacqueline Y. Villar formalize FEU’s participation in the MAP-HEI Structured Internship Program. The collaboration engages MAP members as mentors who will help prepare and guide students throughout their internship experience. 

The professional preparation phase will run through September 2026, before students enter their assigned workplaces. Its modules cover professional ethics, diversity, equity and inclusion, critical thinking, effective communication, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence for workplace productivity. 

Sessions will be delivered in a hybrid format by experts from P&A Grant Thornton, Asia Pacific College, Clear Path Consultancy International, De La Salle University, FEU, and other industry partners.

Once deployed, students will receive internship monitoring, mentoring, professional engagement, and continuing support. This approach treats workplace immersion as an extension of learning rather than a stand-alone requirement measured in completed hours. 

MAP’s network of CEOs, senior executives, entrepreneurs, academic leaders, and industry practitioners also gives students direct exposure to how organizations operate, decisions are made, and professional standards are applied. Alongside technical competence, the program emphasizes communication, adaptability, critical thinking, ethical judgment, and the ability to work with people from different backgrounds. 

Within FEU, the program is led by the Industry Internship and Instruction Office, or I2, under the CDPO. This allows internship opportunities to connect with the University’s broader student support and career development services as they move toward employment after graduation. 

The program is intended for disciplines with internship requirements, particularly business, information technology, engineering, communication, hospitality, and education. 

By surrounding internship placements with mentoring and professional support, FEU and MAP are working to make the experience a more formative part of students’ education and a stronger foundation for the careers they will pursue. 

FEU representatives (from left) VP Baquiran, Trustee Gianna Montinola, CDPO Director Cabiedes, and Industry Internship and Instruction Director John Oliver Brioso attend the launch of the MAP-HEI Structured Internship Program, which combines professional preparation, mentored workplace immersion, and continuing support for students.