DMMMSU, represented by the Vice President for Administration and Quality Assurance, Prof. Lilito Gavina, participated in the 2024 Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) Annual Conference held in Ottawa, Canada, from November 2 to 10, 2024.
DMMMSU joined other higher education institutions from Region I, including Pangasinan State University (PSU), the University of Northern Philippines (UNP), and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), under the stewardship of CHED Regional Director Dr. Christine Ferrer. The Philippine delegation, composed of representatives from 25 HEIs, was led by CHED Commissioner Dr. Marita Canapi, along with UNIFAST OIC Executive Director Atty. Ryan Estevez, CHED INRC Lead for KRA3 Dr. Myrna Mallari, and Ms. Mabel Gutierrez from CHED’s International Affairs Services Office.
The conference, themed “Beyond the Horizon,” brought together over 1,000 participants from Canada and the global education community. It served as a platform for DMMMSU to expand its networks, explore potential collaborations, and engage in meaningful discussions on international education and research partnerships.
In conjunction with the main CBIE events, the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines and CBIE organized side meetings where the Philippine delegation showcased their internationalization initiatives and highlighted recent developments in the country’s transnational higher education sector.
As part of the academic mission, DMMMSU initiated discussions with several Canadian institutions to explore potential partnerships. A continuation meeting is already in the pipeline with Portage College, the University of Manitoba, and Toronto Metropolitan University, aiming to solidify collaborations in agriculture, food sciences, environmental sciences, health sciences, and business management programs.
A memorandum of understanding with Portage College is currently in progress, focusing on the development of micro-credentialing programs and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives. (By Jesus Rafael Jarata)
