CHED & DLSU Host Forum

on PH-France Academic Relations

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in cooperation with De La Salle University (DLSU), hosted
the Forum on Franco-Philippine Academic Relations last June 22-23, 2016.

Held in Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City, the forum was an offshoot of the Memorandum of
Understanding on Philippines-France Cooperation in the area of Higher Education and Research (PH-France
MOU) signed last year.

The Forum successfully provided a platform for higher education officials to exchange ideas in areas of
common interest including climate change and mitigation of natural hazards. French Ambassador to the
Philippines Theirry Mathou also graced the event, emphasizing that education is a top priority of the French
Government in the Philippines.

He gave special focus on the implementation of PH-France MOU to increase the number of Filipino students
in France and vice versa. The Ambassador said that in the previous years, the average number of Philippine
students in France was 250, he aims to raise this number to 300 next year. Additionally, he hopes for greater
access for Philippine students to French scholarships, not just in the Luzon-NCR areas, but for students from
Visayas and Mindanao as well.

He also said that these developments are timely as next year will mark the 70 th anniversary of diplomatic
relations between the two states.

For the Philippine side, CHED highlighted the introduction of the K-12 Program and how the country has
prepared measures for its successful transition. To have more competitive graduates, the country's HE sector
is shifting its focus to outcomes-based learning which will better match the skills of graduates with the job
market's needs.

Attended by executives from CHED and representatives of top-flight higher education institutions (HEIs) from
both countries, the Philippine HEI contingent was composed of 17 institutions including Ateneo de Manila
University, DLSU, University of Sto. Tomas, University of San Carlos-Cebu and UP-Diliman. The French
HEIs present numbered at eight, including Universit Sorbonne Paris Cit, N+i Network, and Sorbonne
Nouvelle Paris 3.

Scholarship-granting bodies as well as the French Ministry of National Eduation, Higher Educationand
Research, and the CHED K-12 Transition Team were also in attendance.

Prepared by: Approved by:

Lloyd Edgar G. Reyes Atty. Lily Freida M. Milla

CHED-CHED-IAS, PTS-II CHED-IAS, Director III

Noted by:

Joy Christine B. Gitau

CHED-IAS, Chief