04 March 2024
In a bid to strengthen cooperation in the areas of Science and Technology, Engineering, and Fisheries, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) of Turkey renewed ties to promote academic partnerships between Philippine and Turkish universities.
CHED Secretary Popoy De Vera and CoHE President Erol Özvar met at the sidelines of the Eurasia Higher Education Summit in Istanbul to identify new areas of collaboration after the completion of the five year Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2018 between the two ministries.
In attendance during the special meeting were Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Henry Bensurto, Jr., Mariano Marcos State University President Shirley Agrupis, Iloilo Science and Technological University President Gabriel Salistre, Caraga State University President Rolyn Daguil, MSU-Naawan Chancellor Elnor Roa and officials of University of Luzon and Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation.
In December 2019, De Vera together with Roa, Chancellor Ricardo Babaran of the University of the Philippines Visayas, and President Godelyn Hisole of Iloilo State College of Fisheries, traveled to Turkey for an academic mission in fisheries and marine science.
While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the higher education collaboration between the two countries, the Commission approved and funded a project supporting this collaboration and on September 17-28, 2022, MSU at Naawan and other fisheries schools met their counterparts to forge collaboration activities such as:
Sending five (5) graduate students to Kastamonu University and Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University in Turkey
Panel membership of Turkish faculty members to theses and dissertations of graduate students
Membership of MSU Naawan faculty member to the official journal of COMU
A new five year Memorandum of Agreement between CHED and CoHE is now ready for signing.
“We should think of possible opportunities in the fisheries first, then we can extend our cooperation to other areas,” Özvar said.
According to De Vera, the meeting during the EURIE Conference aims to broaden the scope of cooperation to include Science and Technology and engineering.
“While we continue to push for partnerships in fisheries, it is now possible to expand by bringing together universities with excellent Science, Technology, and Engineering programs from both countries. We recognize Turkey’s world-class quality of education, especially in engineering and technology.” De Vera said.
De Vera and Ambassador Bensurto also thanked the Turkish government for their support for the peace process in Mindanao.
Upon the initiative of Ozvar, the two parties also discussed the possibility of collaboration in university research partnerships in the defense industry by combining education, research and development, and industrial partnerships. De Vera also pushed for upskilling and reskilling programs by universities consistent with the instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to CHED and other government agencies.
Moving forward, CHED and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education expressed their commitment to sign a new Memorandum of Agreement to formalize the agreed-upon areas of cooperation.
In addition to the MOA, a Technical Working Group will be created to be led by the Philippine Ambassador in Turkey and CoHE, and representatives of the six Philippine universities in attendance to develop a workplan to implement projects in the identified areas of cooperation.
De Vera also invited CoHE President Özvar to visit the Philippines. This visit aims to highlight the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Turkey, which will be celebrated through academic exchanges between universities and institutions from both countries.
(SIGNED)
J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA III, DPA
Chairman
Commission on Higher Education
Philippines