Philippines, Hungary boost cooperation on higher education

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Hungary have tackled ways to enhance bilateral cooperation on higher education under the framework of the “Agreement on Educational and Scientific Exchange Program for the Years 2018, 2019 and 2020.” 

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Patricia Licuanan led the Philippine delegation to the Partnership Mission to Hungary last Dec. 11-14.

Licuanan met with Hungary’s Minister of State for Education Laszlo Palkovics at the Ministry of Human Capacities. 

After their bilateral meeting, the Philippines and Hungary convened the First Joint Working Group Meeting, which was established under the same agreement.

The Philippine delegation also met with Peter Tordai, executive director of the Tempus Public Foundation, which manages the Stipendium Hungaricum, a scholarship program that annually provides 35 scholarships for Filipinos in Hungary; 30 scholarships for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science or Master of ArtsA/Master of Science in agriculture and sustainable development, medicine, water management engineering and hydrology, architecture and protection of cultural heritage, natural sciences and environmental studies as well as five scholarships for Doctor in Philosophy/Doctor of Liberal Arts Studies in any discipline.

There are currently nine scholars under the agreement, six of whom met with Licuanan and the Philippine delegation at the Novotel Danube Hotel.

The students expressed their appreciation for CHED’s facilitation of their scholarships and shared their actual learning experiences in Hungary. They are encouraging more Filipinos to study in Hungary through the same scholarship program.

The Philippine delegation visited four institutions of higher education in Hungary: the Obuda University, Budapest Business School, University of Veterinary Medicine and the Szent Istvan University. 

The visits facilitated the Philippines and Hungary’s possible linkage and partnerships in higher education, particularly through long-distance research collaborations, exchange of publications and sharing of best practices.