CanCham: Boosting trade ties through strong academic links

CEBU, Philippines – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham-Cebu) aims to boost the educational exchange between Cebu and various cities in Canada.

CanCham-Cebu president Felix Tiukinhoy announced that CanCham will serve as the coordinator of this special advocacy of increasing the number of exchange students and other university-to-university partnership between the two countries.

Tiukinhoy mentioned Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) as one of the few universities here that expressed interest to participate in this program.

A concrete roadmap of the program will still be formalized in the next few days, as well as formal identification of the participating colleges and universities.

Last year, the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines invited Cebuanos to maximize the opportunity in studying in Canada, through the visit made by 12 Canadian educational institutions here,

“Canada is one of the most popular international study destinations in the world with close to 300,000 foreign students studying in Canada each year. Many of which were from the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines,” said Ambassador Neil Reeder.

The 12 representatives from Canadian institutions presented and discussed the opportunities for studying in Canada at the college and university levels.

The 12 Canadian schools that participated included  Acsenda School of Management, Algonquin College, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Centennial College, Douglas College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Humber College, Niagara College, SAIT Polytechnic, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Seneca College, and University of Regina.

Already, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) signed a joint statement on education collaboration that will promote research, student, and faculty exchange, curriculum enhancement and faculty development.

It also highlights opportunities for Filipino students to study in Canadian schools as well as Canadians hoping to study in the Philippines.

Canada’s numerous advantages as a study destination enable CBIE’s vision to position Canada as a leader in international education.

CBIE works across the full spectrum of education, bridging the interests of all learning levels, from K+12 to postgraduate, and engaging both the public and private sectors.

Earlier, Reeder said that Filipino students can enjoy the "strongest and highest quality of education system" at relatively modest cost compared to other study destinations since Canadian schools are state-subsidized.

According to Reeder Canada is seventh in the world as an international study destination, with close to 300,000 foreign students enrolled in its schools.

Tiukinhoy said CanCham's effort in matching Cebu universities with Canadian educational institutions is just part of the organization's support of the existing programs put in place by the two countries' government in an effort to strengthen the two nation's mutual trade exchanges.

There is a high possibility also that Cebu-based universities will mount an educational mission to Canada, to invite Canadians to study in the Philippines for specialized skills or courses. (FREEMAN)