The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Friday said it is eyeing a more globally competitive higher education sector in the country in partnership with the European Union (EU).

“We look forward to reengineering Philippine higher education for the better, learning more relevant innovations, and helping reimagine higher education, here and abroad, working on the premise that the pursuit of higher education paves the way for a better future,” CHED Chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III said in a speech in Shang-ri La Plaza in Mandaluyong City.

De Vera made the remark during the 2023 European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) opening ceremony, as he highlighted its theme “Pathways to Excellence”.

The hybrid EHEF, organized by the European Union Delegation (EUD), offers wider opportunities for its participants including study exchanges, research grants, and other scholarship opportunities in promising universities in Europe, with the use of European funding.

De Vera said that through EHEF, Filipino students may be provided with a platform to explore and master their diverse fields of study abroad.

These opportunities, however, are not only accessible to students, but also to researchers, academicians, and university leaders.

“EHEF 2023 is a big help and addition to the internationalization mission of CHED as it links members of the academe from the Philippines to the best higher education institutions from the European Union,” De Vera added.

To date, around 85 European Higher Education Institutions, member states’ embassies and cultural institutions from 14 European countries will be taking part in the event, which includes both in-person and virtual engagement from September 30 to October 2. (PNA)