THE COMMISSION on Higher Education (CHED) and 11 higher education institutions (HEIs) from the Philippines on Monday started the Higher Education Mission to secure more partnerships in Australia.

The five-day mission is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to boost internationalization of Philippine HEIs.

“In the current administration, we are guided by the strategic instructions of the President continuing to produce world-class professionals in the fields in which the Philippines is well-known. So, that includes medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, engineering, and others,” CHED Chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III said during the Philippine delegation meeting with the Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen De La Vega.

Included in the target areas of partnerships with Australian universities are agriculture, information technology (IT), tourism, hotel and restaurant management (HRM), accounting, mining engineering, cybersecurity, social sciences, and creative industries, among others.

De La Vega, meanwhile, lauded the participating HEIs as they “reciprocated” the first business mission in May 2024, adding up to the “confidence-building” efforts with their Australian counterparts.

“So, kayo nire-reciprocate niyo iyon (You’re reciprocating that) by coming here and telling them, that yes we are ready to do partnerships, whether it be in the putting up research institutions or partnerships or twining or obtaining dual degrees,” she said.

Among the 11 participating HEIs are Arellano University, Asia Pacific College, Caraga State University, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Iloilo Science and Technology University, Mariano Marcos State University, Our Lady of Fatima University, Southville International School and Colleges, University of Northern Philippines, University of the Philippines-Manila, and University of the Philippines-Los Baños.

According to CHED, the Philippine HEIs will visit, engage in best practices discussions, and secure agreements with the Swinburne University, Chisholm Institute, La Trobe University, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, Monash University, and Centre for Education Australia until Oct. 25.

The target partnerships also aim to secure student exchanges, collaborative research, and information-sharing, among others.