The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that the Philippines pushed its partnership with Australia for transnational education in support of the internationalization drive of higher education institutions (HEI) under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
This is a landmark in furthering the Philippines' position in the international education market, deepening cooperation with Australia, and opening the way for future partnerships in higher education that will enable both countries to respond to the changing needs of the global labor market", CHED Chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III said in a statement.
De Vera made the statement following the Transnational Education (TNE) Opportunity Forum, which explored possible collaborations between the Philippine and Australian HEIs, as well as the nation's higher education mission in Sydney and Adelaide, Australia.
In another speech, De Vera encouraged Australian universities to partner with the Philippines HEIs to 'expand' their presence in Asia, naming possible areas to be optimized as the Philippines' strengths.
"We are actually doing better than the majority of ASEAN nations as far as the graduate rate for the first degree is concerned. That implies that we have upwardly mobile people who are young, English-proficient, and seeking educational opportunities in many fields and in a variety of modes", he explained.
These include fields of medicine and allied health, science and technology, aviation, animation, game development, maritime, Information Technology, and tourism management. He cited possible collaborations on academic and student exchanges and research coordination.
Australia's top universities, such as Charles Sturt University, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Technology Sydney, University of Canberra, Victoria University, University of New South Wales, Australian Catholic University, and University of Western Sydney signed up for the TNE Opportunity Forum.
For the PH delegation, presidents and heads of five Philippine HEIs including Chancellor Michael Tee of University of the Philippines (UP)- Manila; Maria Teresita Medado, president of Asia Pacific College (APC); Renato Carlos Ermita Jr., president of National University (NU); Erwin Cadorna, president of University of Northern Philippines (UNP); and Jaime Manuel, president of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) joined the CHED.
Apart from the Philippines HEIs leaders, the CHED also partnered with the Philippine Board of Investments and Clark Development Corporation in pursuing international education partnerships during the mission on higher education.
