Mariano Marcos
State University

British ambassador visits MMSU

British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce visited the university last February 6 to strengthen ties with the academic community.

Pruce discussed the British government’s program on transnational education with the university officials and students during a meeting among the Administrative Council (AdCo) officials at the River Mount Hotel and Resort, Sarrat, Ilocos Norte.

He said the British Embassy in Manila is co-organizing the Study World UK 2020 to provide bigger opportunities for Filipinos to study in the United Kingdom and to improve faculty exchange through scholarship grants, to explore on joint research projects and to broaden curricula with Philippine universities, and to develop better access to new resource materials.

The British Embassy official said he takes pride of his government’s contribution to global education. 

In addition, Pruce highlighted that MMSU is collaborating with the British Geological Survey and the Ateneo de Manila University to study the effects of climate change on groundwater resources - the availability of water and the possible consequences of flood and drought.

The British envoy also visited the Bislak River in Vintar, Ilocos Norte for its flood control system project.

Led by the University of Glasgow and the University of the Philippines, the Bislak River covering the municipalities of Vintar and Bacarra in Ilocos Norte is being studied to better understand possible flood scenarios and to enable the town to be better prepared for any water-related risks.

Since Pruce assumed as British representative to Manila in August 2017, this was the first time that he visited Ilocos Norte. He promised to come back to further strengthen friendly relations and stronger collaboration on areas both beneficial to the UK and the Philippines.