The Philippines and the countries of North and South America have long enjoyed a strong and fruitful relationship when it comes to education partnerships.
The United States of America and Canada, two of the increasingly interconnected global partners of our country are committed to a shared goal of expanding educational opportunities, enhancing professional development, and strengthening collaboration between educational entities. By leveraging the unique strengths of each country, a strong and sustainable partnership aids on the advancement of internationalization of Philippine higher education.
The Joint Statement on Higher Education Cooperation between CHED and U.S. Embassy was signed in Makati City on 16 July 2019. Through the joint statement, CHED and the U.S. Embassy confirmed its shared interest in promoting greater higher education cooperation and education exchange between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America by facilitating several areas of cooperation: institutional linkages and collaboration, capacity building, government, industry, and academic linkages, quality assurance, and faculty and student mobility.
Since the signing of the agreement, more than 60 fruitful partnership agreements have moved forward between Philippine and top U.S. universities. These collaborations will boost the mobility of Filipino students, elevating our status within ASEAN and around the world. It is worth noting that under the joint statement deliverables, there have been more than 300 university presidents and administrators who have been trained by U.S. experts for free.
The Commission on Higher Education and the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines have established a strong working relationship since 2013, founded on shared values and long-term objectives aimed at capacitating the Philippine higher education sector. CHED is committed to further enhancing academic linkages between Philippine and Canadian institutions that will enable partnership models such as, but not limited to, research, student and faculty exchange, curriculum enhancement, joint programs, offshore or virtual program deliveries and faculty development, anchored on innovative platforms and methods of delivery. CHED and the Embassy of Canada worked towards a partnership with the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), one of Canada’s education associations that work with the Government of Canada in promoting international education, to streamline the process of attaining shared long-term goals for the benefit of Philippine and Canadian education stakeholders.
In line with this, the Joint Statement on Education Collaboration between the CHED and CBIE was signed in November 2014 on the margins of the second high-level Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meetings held in Ottawa, Canada. The joint statement signified an important step to further strengthen higher education cooperation between Canada and the Philippines, and partnerships between Canadian and Philippine higher education institutions. The projects delivered from the joint statement, coupled with joint efforts by CHED and the Embassy of Canada on partnership-building at EduCanada (the Government of Canada’s education brand) and CHED events, has reaped a significant increase in partnerships from about 10 in 2013 to 68 in 2021.
Education USA is a network of more than 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries around the world. In the Philippines, Education USA centers provide accurate, unbiased, and comprehensive information on more than 4,000 accredited colleges and universities in the United States at no charge to students and parents. They also provide access to up–to–date information regarding the entire US admissions process and advice on scholarships, language training, visas, and preparing for the transition to college life in the United States. Education USA centers in the Philippines offer information sessions, pre–departure orientation programs, and library services to students and parents, as well as provide contact information for local Educational USA centers in other countries for those who are interested in studying outside the United States. Mor importantly, Education USA has been closely working with the Commission on Higher Education in the conduct of capacity-building activities for Philippine higher education institutions.