Canadian universities foster sustainable collaboration with the Philippines

MANILA—Universities Canada, in collaboration with the Trade Commissioner Service in Manila, concluded a successful mission bringing together university leaders and government officials from Canada and the Philippines this week.  

The mission took place in Manila, the Philippines, November 6 to 8, 2023, and aimed to identify partnership opportunities in higher education and training, promote international research collaboration and strengthen ties between the Philippines and Canada. Under the theme of building sustainable partnerships, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals were central to the event’s discussions. 

During the mission, Universities Canada signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines, signaling the commitment of both countries’ post-secondary systems to work together. Participants also visited two Philippine university campuses, the University of the Philippines Los Baños and De La Sale University, to learn about research underway on agriculture, food security, science and technology. 

The Philippines is a priority country in both Universities Canada’s and the Government of Canada’s international education strategies. People-to-people links between Canada and the Philippines continue to grow, with nearly one million people of Philippine origin residing in Canada and a rising number of Filipinos choosing to study in Canada. In 2021, Canada was the number one preferred destination country for post-secondary students from the Philippines.  

The Philippines and Canada have a strong history of collaboration and will celebrate their 75th year of bilateral relations in 2024. The countries have worked together on human rights issues, peacekeeping efforts and climate change, as well as through their membership to the Association of Southeast Asian Countries, the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization. This week’s mission was an opportunity to deepen and strengthen those relationships. 

“Universities Canada’s Mission to the Philippines was extremely productive,” said Philip Landon, interim president and CEO of Universities Canada. “It was an invaluable opportunity for Canadian university presidents to learn from their Philippine counterparts, share knowledge and form connections. We look forward to exploring more ways to collaborate with the Philippines as we work towards building a more sustainable future and addressing the challenges of climate change.” 

Universities Canada will continue to promote institutional partnership opportunities that promote two-way student mobility—such as the Global Skills Opportunity program—international research collaborations and business opportunities between the Philippines and Canada.