Professor Dr. Ersyl T. Biray is a pragmatist educational leader who believes that inclusive education is the best door that opens the bright promise for the total lifetime development through a borderless approach no matter what the race, political, religious, and economic affiliation of the individual is. He has a heart for the poor being himself the son of a farmer and a homemaker nurtured in an environment where poverty is by itself a challenge to finish his basic education in rural schools – Jawili Elementary School in Tangalan, Aklan, and Makato Elementary School in Makato, Aklan. He excelled in the academics graduating as class valedictorian at the Aklan Central Institute, Makato, Aklan in 1978. He started his tertiary education at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, and attained a baccalaureate diploma in English in 1982, with a master’s degree in administration and supervision as cum laude from the Aklan College, Kalibo, Aklan in 1987. He was accorded an IWAG award for journalism by the Philippine Information Agency Regional Office VI in 1982. He specialized his craft through a master’s diploma in English language teaching from the West Visayas State University, Iloilo City in 2005, and received his doctorate degree in educational management from the Aklan State University, Banga, Aklan in 2007. He was twice a recipient of the Netherlands Fellowship Program (NFP) from the Netherlands government for the executive course, “Leadership and Management of Higher Education Institutions” at the Maastricht School of Management in Maastricht, The Netherlands in 2009 and the refresher course, “Entrepreneurial University Transformation in SouthEast Asia at the Universitas Katolik Parahyangan in Bandung, Indonesia in 2016. He was among the grantees of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) Executive Development Course, “Filipinos for Leadership and Management Excellence” (FLaME Elite) in 2010; the US Department of State RELO MOOC in 2017; Short Term Course of the Nanhua University, Chuayi County, Taiwan in 2018; and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Training on Enhancing Excellence in Leadership and Management of Higher Education by the SEAMEO Regional Training Center, Vietnam in 2021. He started his administrative designations at the Aklan State University as iSchools Writer for the Commission on Information and Communications Technology; Adviser of the Eamigas – the official student publication of the Aklan Agricultural College (now Aklan State University); Editorial Consultant of “The Spark” – the official newsletter of the ASU Faculty Association; Chairperson of the University Bids and Awards Committee; Board Member of the 25-Peso Multipurpose Cooperative; Division Chairperson for Communication, Humanities, and Languages of the School of Arts and Sciences; ASU Laboratory High School Principal; Campus Head of the Teacher Education Center; Coordinator of the Graduate Studies; Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Dean of the School of Management Sciences; Officer-in-Charge of the College of Teacher Education; Executive Campus Director of ASU Kalibo Campus; Director for Alumni, Public and International Relations; and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Aklan State University. Currently, he leads the Aklanon Studies Center for Heritage, Diversity and Educational Innovations of the College of Teacher Education. He had served as Institutional Sustainability Assessment (ISA) Assessor, and Regional Quality Assurance Team (RQuAT) Assessor of the Commission on Higher Education, and among the Learning Materials Evaluator of the Department of Education. Currently, he is an active Senior Accreditor of the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), Inc.

He is an active member of national and international professional organizations, as TESOL International; World Academicians Network; Asia-Pacific Consortium of Researchers and Educators; International Society of Teachers, Administrators and Researchers; International Alliance of English Teachers Association; International Multidisciplinary Organization for Research and Extension; Asian Qualitative Researchers Association; Philippine Association for Teacher Education, Philippine Association for Language Teachers; and Reading Association of the Philippines, among others. He has written reference books for college and graduate students, and a prolific social science researcher who has presented papers in national and international conferences. He has articles published in international journals, and a utility model with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

This is Prof. Dr. Biray – the dedicated educationist, licensed professional teacher, committed educational leader, and selfless community worker of the College of Teacher Education, Aklan State University, Banga, Aklan, Philippines.