Seize the opportunity to visit other countries

“We, in the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), encourage Filipinos to study abroad because we want Filipino students to be competitive and acquire new ideas and strategies, expand their cultural and intellectual horizons, and improve their job prospects,” declared CHED Officer-in-Charge Dr. J. Prospero E. De Vera III at the recent inauguration of this year’s European Higher Education Fair (EHEF).

He said that this is to show the commitment of the Commission in advocating and supporting the internationalization of Philippine Higher Education.

Endorsed by CHED, EHEF is organized by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines in cooperation with the EU Member States’ Embassies and Cultural Institutes. More than 30 EU Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) participated in the fair.

De Vera mentioned that the primary goal of internationalization is improving the quality of Higher Education that would translate to the development of a more competitive human resource to sustain increased economic development.

“It is clear that for every Filipino who leaves for abroad, his or her worldview automatically changes, as they learn new cultures, as they work with students of different nationalities, but more importantly, as they test themselves among the best in the world. And when they come back, they are never the same again,” he said.

He also shared that the Philippines had already forged 52 educational agreements with 38 countries, including 10 bilateral agreements with European countries such as Hungary, Spain, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Estonia, and Romania.

“These agreements aim to promote academic cooperation and opportunities in Higher Education and professional training, including the development of institutional linkages in relevant fields. These also promote the exchange of educational literature, information and demonstration materials,” he added.

He also announced that CHED has several scholarships and grants for Filipino graduate students who wish to study abroad. A gathering of all schools offering engineering programs, with its theme, "Facing the Challenge of Industry 4.0", today kicks off at Peter G. Nepomuceno (PGN) Professional Building Auditorium, Holy Angel University (HAU) in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The annual two-day International Conference in Engineering Education (ICEE) is sponsored by the Philippine Association of Engineering Schools, Inc and the HAU's School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA).

HAU president Dr. Luis Maria R. Calingo will address the assembly during the opening. Four SEA faculty members - Engr. Michael Almeida, Dr. Jay-r Basitao, Dr. Felicito Caluyo, and Engr. Filipina de Guzman will present their researches.

Moreoever, other international and local speakers, will also address the whole plenary during the parallel sessions for the paper presentations.

Topics to be discussed will include as follows: inclusive engineering innovation; strengthening of STEAM programs towards industry 4.0; humanizing of artificial intelligence; data science, big data, and data analytics; pedagogical approaches in engineering education; deep learning; experiential learning and intercultural competency development; inclusive education; internet of things; intelligent systems laboratory; smart manufacturing; and soft skills development for STEAM graduates, among others.