Education officials visit Wales

Officials of higher education institutions (HEI) in south Manila have embarked on an exploratory meeting with their counterparts in Wales, as part of a British Council-assisted program to establish collaborations between schools and universities in the two countries.

The exchange was made possible through the British Council’s Internationalizing South Manila Educational Consortium (SMEC) HEIs Project, which aims to assist the capacity of SMEC member institutions to expand their collaboration portfolio.

Strategic alliances, social and cultural development, and human resource development collaborations which exists between SMEC members and Asia-based universities, and will now extend to United Kingdom institutions as it aligns with the priority of the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to promote and support Philippine HEIs to develop their faculty and to innovate institutionally.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde President Brother Dennis Magbanua, FSC, who currently heads SMEC leads the delegation. Joining him are Philippine Women’s University President Jose Francisco B. Benitez, SMEC VP for External Linkages and Funding; Adamson University President Fr. Marcelo Victorio Manimtim, CM, SMEC VP for Internal Programs; Emilio Aguinaldo College President Dr. Jose Paulo Campos; Philippine Normal University President Dr. Ester Ogena; St. Paul University Manila President Sr. Ma. Evangeline Anastacio, SPC; and DLS-CSB Chief External Affairs Officer Ma. Victoria M. Dayao, SMEC OIC-Executive Director. Representatives from the British Council are Head of Education Lotus Postrado, and Student, Alumni, and Higher Education Partnerships Program Officer Pierre Pecson.

The group travels to Cardiff Metropolitan University, which is organizing the group’s itinerary. Among universities to be visited are Swansea University and Aberystwyth University. There will also be a meeting with British education agencies, such as the Higher Education Academy, BUILA, QAA, and Universities UK International. 

Upon their return, the SMEC institutions are also expected to work towards establishing the identified areas of collaboration with their Welsh university partners.