PH, CN Universities and Colleges sign record number of partnership agreements in Guiyang, China
Guiyang, Guizhou Province – Co-hosted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and the Guiyang Institute of Humanities and Technology, the Philippines-China University President Cooperation Dialogue, Ceremonial Signing, and Networking Session took place on 30 August 2023 as part of the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW).
The event gathered representatives from 13 Philippine Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs), including the University of the Philippines (UP), and six Chinese Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs) as well as officials from the Commission on Higher Education, Philippine Embassy in Beijing, and Philippine Consulate General in Chongqing and the Guizhou Provincial Education Department.
In his address, Dr. J. Prospero E. De Vera III, CHED Chairperson, lauded the signatories for embracing internationalization. “International collaboration is the key aspect of our approach to higher education. By collaborating with overseas partners, HEIs can enhance the quality of education, expose students to diverse perspectives and equip them with skills necessary to thrive in a globalized society,” he stated.
For her part, Philippine Consul General in Chongqing, Ms. Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo noted that dynamic academic exchanges, joint academic programs, and research collaboration among HEIs could be anchored on ASEAN-China vision documents and Plan of Action as well as the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between CHED and the Chinese Ministry of Education. “By consolidating regional and bilateral strengths in education, international partnerships raise our prospects for shared prosperity,” she suggested.
For UP President Angelo Jimenez, centuries-old commercial ties and cooperative linkages over 48 years of diplomatic relations have established both the foundations and future directions of Philippines-China cooperation. “Ultimately, we must weigh our decisions according to one metric: how these will concretely improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Education is meant to serve people, to make lives better, to save our environment, and to promote peace, prosperity and social responsibility,” he concluded.
Dr. Zou Lianke, Director General of the Guizhou Provincial Education Department, led the Chinese participants in the event where a record number of partnership agreements between PHEIs and CHEIs were signed as follows:
- Bohol Island State University and Guiyang Institute of Humanities and Technology;
- Mabalacat City College and Shijiazhuang Institute of Railway Technology;
- Isabela State University and Guizhou Minzu University;
- Jose Rizal University and Guiyang Institute of Humanities and Technology;
- Mariano Marcos State University and Center of International Education
- Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas and Deyang Vocational College of Technology and Trade;
- University of Perpetual Help System DALTA and Center of International Education of Guangzhou Xinhua University;
- University of Antique and Guizhou Vocational College of Foodstuff and Technology;
- World Citi Colleges and Guiyang Institute of Humanities and Technology; and
- University of the Philippines and Guiyang Institute of Humanities and Technology.
Other Philippine HEIs included in the Philippine delegation were the University of the Philippines Open University, University of the Cordilleras and La Consolacion University. END