More refugees and those fleeing from armed conflict in Myanmar will be given an opportunity to study in four Philippine universities under a scholarship grant.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) announced on Thursday that four higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country had formalized their participation in the program by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of International Education (IIE).
The IIE is the contractor for the Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a five-year initiative allowing scholars from Myanmar to get regional and local higher education scholarships.
READ: Asean seeking new strategies to address Myanmar crisis
The DISP program, according to CHEd Chair Prospero de Vera III, has a variety of higher education opportunities through multimodalities in several Asian countries, including Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Selected schools
Under the signed agreement, students from “vulnerable groups” in Myanmar can study at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Batangas State University, Lyceum of the Philippines University Batangas (LPU Batangas), and Saint Louis University in Baguio City (SLU Baguio).
They could choose from the following fields: agriculture, engineering, hospitality management, and education, De Vera said.
He also disclosed that CHEd had “worked closely” with Usaid in streamlining the admission process for the students from Myanmar.
Also discussed was the provision of support services to “facilitate their transition to studying in Philippine HEIs.”
Current scholars
At present, there are 31 Burmese scholars in the Philippines studying in the four universities.
They include 11 students who are taking up a master’s degree in data science and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, computer engineering, and electrical engineering at Batangas State University.
In LPU Batangas, five scholars are taking up undergraduate studies in international travel and tourism management, which De Vera said LPU was “internationally recognized” for.
UPLB, which the CHEd chief described as the “best university in agriculture,” has four scholars from Myanmar who are taking up graduate studies in natural resource conservation and a graduate diploma in environmental planning.
For SLU Baguio, 11 scholars are currently taking bachelor’s degrees in nursing, secondary and special needs education, and a master’s degree in inclusive and language education, De Vera added.
Another batch of Burmese scholars is also expected for the next school year, but he did not mention the exact number of students.
“The Philippines has always been a beacon of hope and opportunity, not just for Filipinos but for those seeking refuge and a fresh start,” he said in a statement.