EU, Philippines push for more ‘open dialogue’ in education

MANILA, Philippines - With the growing mobility of students from the Philippines, studying in the European Union (EU) is now more attainable than ever before, with various study opportunities to be highlighted in the upcoming European Higher Education Fair (EHEF), on November 10 at Fairmont Hotel, Makati to be followed with its Cebu City outreach on November 11 at the Cebu Normal University, Cebu City.  

Organized by the EU Delegation in the Philippines, in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the EU Member States Embassies and Cultural Institutes, EHEF 2016 will feature 39 top-notch universities from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

According to EU Ambassador Franz Jessen, EU universities with their multitude of academic programmes and degrees, supported by their strong emphasis on cutting edge innovation, are ideal for Filipinos wanting to undertake their academic endeavors.

“EHEF will pave the way for Filipino students to experience these diversified and high quality programmes," said Jessen. "EHEF is not just a gateway between students and the universities but a means to strengthen higher education collaboration between the EU and the Philippines." 

According to Juan Roberto Regino, who graduated with a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Catolica San Antonio de Murcia in Spain, younger people and students are more inclined to further their education due to the growing competitiveness of various industries.

"With the growing demands of globalization, millennials won’t just settle for an undergraduate degree. An EU education will give you that edge. The high quality of education that EU schools provide will make you a leader in your field or profession, and EHEF is the gateway to that,” said Regino.

There are many avenues to an education in the EU, adds Commission on Higher Education  Director III for International Affairs lawyer Lily Milla. “CHED is working hand in hand with the EU in presenting various options available for Filipino students, especially in terms of financing. That’s the beauty of EU schools – if you search diligently enough, you’ll be able to find a school that fits your aspirations and capacity.”

EHEF is supported by Philstar.com, Business Mirror and Crossover 105.1.

Admission to EHEF is free. The Fair in Manila is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. while in Cebu Normal University, the public is invited to participate from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The networking session is by invitation but interested universities may contact the EU Delegation to the Philippines for further details.

Students, faculty and academicians are invited to register early at http://ehef-philippines.com/en/registration or visit www.ehef-philippines.com, for more details, or check EHEF Philippines on Facebook.