THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has announced that several Philippine universities have started accepting students affected by the armed conflict in Myanmar under a scholarship program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Higher Education Secretary Prospero De Vera said courses in agriculture, engineering, hospitality management, and education have been made available to Myanmar students at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB), Batangas State University (BatSU), Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas (LPU-Batangas), and Saint Louis University Baguio (SLU-Baguio).
Under the USAID Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP), a five-year initiative, scholars in Myanmar are given regional and local higher education scholarships and various other higher education options in several Asian countries.
Other countries also supporting the program are Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand although the biggest presence is in the Philippines, with 31 Burmese scholars enrolled in DISP-supported courses.
Participating Philippine HEIs signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Institute of International Education (IIE), the contractor for the DISP funded by USAID, in the presence of De Vera and USAID-Philippines Director of Office of Education Michelle Chen to launch the DISP.
“The Philippines has always been a beacon of hope and opportunity, not just for Filipinos, but for those seeking refuge and a fresh start. Through the USAID Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program, we reaffirm our commitment to equitable, quality, and inclusive higher education, aiming to empower students from all backgrounds,” De Vera said.
He praised the DISP for providing higher education opportunities through international collaboration.
“The launch of USAID’s Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program is a testament to the strength of collaboration between the United States and the Philippines. This program not only supports emerging young leaders from Myanmar but also showcases the power of partnership in uplifting the region’s youth,” Chen said.
CHED is working with USAID to streamline the admissions process for Myanmar students and shore up support services to facilitate their transition to the Philippine HEI systems.
According to CHED, Batangas State University has 11 scholars from Myanmar who are taking Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS), and Bachelor degrees in civil engineering, computer engineering, and electrical engineering.
LPU-Batangas has five scholars taking Bachelor’s degrees in international travel and tourism management, which are the internationally recognized programs of the institution.
The University of the Philippines -Los Baños, the country’s best university in agriculture, has four scholars from Myanmar who are taking a Master’s degree in natural resource conservation and a graduate diploma in environmental planning.
Saint Louis University Baguio has 11 scholars taking up Bachelor’s degrees in Nursing and Secondary and Special Needs Education, and a Master’s in Inclusive and Language Education.
