THE MARIANO Marcos State University applied for the Asian International Mobility Students Program as part of its efforts to give its students wider opportunities for international learning.

MMSU said that the AIMS Program seeks to send students to the program’s member countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Cambodia to engage in international learning for at least six months.

Dr. Mee Jay Domingo, head of the Office of Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnership, said that the move is in line with MMSU’s aim “to enhance students’ intercultural and interpersonal skills, thereby, producing globally competitive and industry-ready graduates.”

“The school teaches hard skills. Mobility programs develop the soft skills of our students. The Asian International Mobility for Students can help us strengthen this program as it will provide scholarships for our students,” Domingo said.

To ensure compliance with the requirements of the program, the Technical Working Group of AIMS recently visited MMSU to inspect the facilities and various documents.

These include the faculty and student handbook, accreditation documents and policies on international recruitment, visa facilitation, orientation and access to support services, among others.

Education Program Specialist for the International Affairs Service of the Commission on Higher Education Corazon Nualda said that MMSU was one of the universities for evaluation “for being a center of excellence and development in various disciplines that are under the scope of the AIMS program.”

Nualda said that the recent performance of MMSU in world rankings gave it an advantage.

MMSU President Shirley Agrupis affirmed the university’s commitment and readiness to be part of AIMS.

“We can assure you that in terms of preparation and readiness, the university is very much ready to expand our internationalization efforts with AIMS,” Argupis said.