By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

A public career higher education corporation in the United Kingdom and Mariano Marcos State University are set to pursue international exchange programs and research collaboration in the fields of renewable energy, net zero energy, and probiotics starting this year. 

The University of East London formally entered a memorandum of understanding with MMSU on November 3 at the former's Docklands Campus. The MOU was signed by UEL Pro-Vice Chancellor for Careers and Enterprise Paul Marshall and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis. 

Both universities committed to develop and deliver TNE programs at the postgraduate level, specifically in IT. In line with this, capacity building programs on governance, design, and delivery of TNE programs will be developed. 

Under the MOU, MMSU and UEL also committed to engage in community building programs; conduct joint conferences, research activities; and allow exchanges of academic materials and publications, faculty, staff, and students for research, lectures and discussions.

 
PSCA thanked the London university for its trust and confidence to MMSU, hoping the partnership would expand and include more areas of collaboration in the future.

For his part, UEL Pro-Vice Chancellor Marshall said their university is dedicated to realize the contents of the shared agreement, and affirmed commitment to sustain the partnership.

British Council Philippines Director Lotus Postrado witnessed the MMSU-UEL MOU signing. Attendees from MMSU were Dr. Mee Jay Domingo, director for internationalization, linkages and partnership; and Dr. Saturnina Nisperos, director for futures thinking and strategic foresight. 

On the part of UEL, also present in the event were Dr. Gulnara Stover, director of Talent Gateway; Dr. Ameer Al-Nemrat, Doctor of Professional Studies (ProfDoc) lead for the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering; Dr. Yang Li, course leader for ProfDoc Data Science; Dr. Abdessamabad Ababou, senior lecturer at the Department of Bioscience; Dr. Thamo Sutharssan, lecturer in aeronautical engineering; Dr. Claudio Scotti, principal lecturer, Department of Bioscience; Dr. Stefano Casalotti, honorary visiting lecturer, School of Health, Sports, and Biosciences; Dr. Lesley Smith, lecturer, Department of Bioscienc; and Caroline Ward, assistant head of academic partnerships and global engagement.

All the UEL professors who joined online expressed their support to the MMSU-UEL partnership. Teams of UEL professors in the Bioscience Department who attended virtually and in person signified their interest in engaging in research collaboration in probiotics and the possible development of joint degree programs in bioscience for probiotics and functional foods. Dr. Ababou personally expressed his interest to work with MMSU on probiotics research. 

After the MOU signing, MMSU and UEL conducted a detailed discussion on TNE partnership, particularly on the offering of Doctor of Philosophy/ProfDoc in Information Technology/Data Science. Future expansion of the partnership will include areas on net zero and renewable energy engineering, and probiotics. 

Established in 1898, UEL turns 125 next year. Founded in 1978, MMSU will mark its 45th anniversary in January 2023. 

This MOU signing was held on the sidelines of the United Kingdom mission visit of the Transnational Education (TNE) partnership in Information Technology (IT) under the Access and Competitiveness through Internationalization of Higher Education (ACT-IHE) project of the British Council of the Philippines and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). ACT-IHE seeks to widen the access of learners to quality higher education and build the competitiveness of Filipino universities. Participating in the TNE visit are MMSU, Batangas State University, Central Mindanao University, Philippine Normal University, and University of the Philippines Manila. Of the five universities, MMSU was chosen to work on IT for TNE.

Conducted from October 30 to November 9, the mission visit aims to expose Philippine universities to different TNE models in UK; promote the Philippines as emerging TNE partner in ASEAN, given the implementation of TNE law in the country; and meet UK universities and determine areas of collaboration for the project. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)