CHED seeks internationalization of PH Education with potential Chongqing Partners
Chongqing, 07 September 2023 – On the heels of the Philippines’ productive participation in the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW) last month in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, the Philippine Consulate General in Chongqing received a 13-member Philippine delegation to help lay the groundwork for further collaboration in higher education and technical-vocational training with potential partners in China’s southwest mega city.
Atty. Lily M. Milla, Director of CHED-International Affairs Staff, headed the delegation that visited Chongqing universities and colleges. Besides CHED officials, Fr. Onofre G. Inocencio, Jr. of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as well as executive officers of the Bohol Island State University, the National University-Asia Pacific College, the Jose Rizal University, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, the World Citi Colleges, and the Mabalacat City College participated in introductory visit.
From 2 to 6 September 2023, the delegation toured various campuses and engaged in exploratory talks with representatives of the Chongqing Vocational College of Transportation in Jiangjin District, the renowned Sichuan International Studies University (SISU) in Shapingba District and Chongqing Medical University in Jiulongpo District, as well as the Chongqing Electronic Engineering Vocational College.
The Chongqing Vocational College of Transportation demonstrated its strong education-industry link with its state-of-the-art facilities and latest industrial inventions. The delegation toured the school’s e-commerce livestreaming studios, drone and artificial intelligence laboratories, as well as workshops for modern construction machineries.
Language training and research partnerships were identified as promising areas of collaboration with the Sichuan International Studies University. In the meantime, the Chongqing Medical University and its affiliated teaching hospital also presented its home-grown medical technologies such as the HIFU, a minimally invasive treatment for cancer. The engagement shone a light on opportunities for joint medical research as well as faculty and student exchanges. For its part, the Chongqing Electronic Engineering Vocational College introduced their core programs including in airplane maintenance and digital media.
The official visit program concluded with a tour of Smart China Expo 2023, an annual showcase of China’s latest technological innovations in areas such as intelligent connected New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), artificial intelligence and new-generation information technologies as well as smart transportation. At the site, the Philippine representatives took the opportunity to learn about the latest technological achievements of the Chongqing University, the Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, the Chongqing Transportation University, the Southwest University, and the Chongqing Technology and Business University, to name a few. The event exhibited the synergy between Chinese education and industry that could serve as a model for Philippine Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs).
“It is our hope that the recent engagements of CHED and PHEIs with potential partner universities and colleges in Chongqing will strengthen our country’s push to internationalize Philippine education through substantive university and vocational and technical education partnerships. We stand ready to assist our educational institutions in further elevating Philippine educational standards and attracting more foreign students to benefit from the strengths of Philippine education,” Consul General Mayo remarked. END