HERITAGE
SAIDI’s Background History
The Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute, now known as SAIDI
School of Organization Development, is an expansion of the Summer Educational
Media Institute (SEMI) that began operating in Manila, Philippines in 1965. SAIDI
then launched a specialized program in educational media and technology for
educators all over the Philippines. This program was affiliated with three Graduate
Schools, namely: Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas and
Philippine Christian University. SAIDI School of Organization Development offered
then the major field of educational media and technology to learners pursuing either
master or doctoral studies in these institutions.
In 1972, recognizing the need to develop decision making for executives in the
whole of Asia, Sr. Jacqueline E. Blondin, MIC, Founder-Director, decided to shift
the Institute’s thrust from upgrading teaching methods to that of Organization
Development. In the proposed program, the systems theory, used as the foundation
principle of Instruction Development, was adapted and applied to organizations.
In September 1975, SAIDI School of OD opened its door to learners of Southeast
Asia and offered two masters programs following the Open Learning Philosophy and
delivered by Distance Education using print and oral mode and technology. A year
later, the Ministry of Education encouraged the SAIDI School of OD Administration
to offer a postgraduate degree program in the same discipline to coach, mentor and
thus empower more leaders holding key positions in different fields.
By 1977, both graduate and postgraduate programs were recognized and accredited
by the Philippine Ministry of Education and Culture, what is now the Commission on
Higher Education (CHEd).
On September 26, 1981, SAIDI held its first Commencement Exercises to confer
masters and doctoral degrees to those candidates who had completed their
academic requirements between October 1978 through September 1981.
The first eight years of SAIDI`s School of OD operation was located in the most
historic part of Manila, on Arzobispo-Real-General Luna Streets in Intramuros. In
June 1983, SAIDI School of OD moved to Antipolo where one finds the Staff House,
Administration Building, Function and Conference Rooms, Dormitories and Cafeteria.
SAIDI School of OD, as a graduate institute, uses the professional experience of
Asian learners who occupy key positions in education, government, community, church, industry and business as a basis and focus for acquiring graduate and
postgraduate degrees. The Institute provides the curriculum design to working
professional who apply the concepts and principles of organization development or
instruction development in the organization to which they belong.
To date, after more than three (3) decades, SAIDI School of Organization
Development graduates come from countries like Canada, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan,
Thailand, USA and Zimbabwe.
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