CHED may ‘lobby more’ for budget for scholarships amid launch of transnational higher education strategy

MANILA — Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said on Wednesday they may “lobby more” for funding for grantees in different scholarship initiatives as they launched the Philippines’ transnational higher education (TNHE) strategy.

CHED led the TNHE strategy launch in Makati on Wednesday to establish an implementation roadmap for 2027 to 2030 on positioning the country as a trusted regional partner in transnational higher education.

“We still have the Senate, so with this launch of the TNHE national strategy already, then maybe we can lobby now more. We can lobby more in order to really massify the number of grantees in the different scholarship program initiative that we are advocating,” Agrupis said.

During the launch event, Agrupis said: “This strategy we launched today brings these efforts together under a coherent national framework with a very clear vision – the strategic priorities and implementation road map for 2027 to 2030. 

“At its core, the strategy seeks to position the Philippines as a trusted regional partner in transnational higher education that develops talent and advanced research and innovation for inclusive and sustainable development.”

Agrupis stressed Filipino students should not be confined to the local learning ecosystem. 

“We cannot confine our students in our local teaching and learning ecosystem because the landscape of higher education changes so fast. So we need this national strategy in the transnational higher education law – provide a road map so that the provisions in the transnational higher education law will be implemented,” Agrupis added. 

The strategy has four pillars, including holistic human capital development and bringing international programs to local shores.

“The strategy is organized around four strategic pillars. First, we are focusing on holistic human capital development and talent retention – nurturing our brightest minds by bringing international masters, doctor, and joint programs directly to our local shores,” Agrupis said.

Agrupis said they are embracing another mode of TNHE, which is for foreign universities to establish campuses in the Philippines.

This gives Filipino learners an opportunity to benefit from world standard curricula, according to Agrupis.

“With foreign universities, with this accepted or international standard, then we can send our Filipino learners in world standard education curriculum at our own cost in our own shore,” Agrupis said. 

Also among those who took part in the launch was House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Rep. Jude Acidre.