SU partners with EU Delegation for virtual European Higher Education Fair
Silliman University (SU) partners with the EU Delegation to the Philippines as the delegation’s regional partner in the Visayas for the first virtual European Higher Education Fair (EHEF 2020), to be held October 2-3, 2020 through the fair’s official website.
Dr. Warlito S. Caturay Jr., SU English and Literature Department faculty member and SU’s point person for EHEF 2020, said that the EU Delegation tapped SU for assistance in reaching out to the local community as a way of expanding the fair’s reach in the Visayas region.
“During the fair, [SU] will also be in charge of one structured webinar on Medicine and Allied Sciences,” added Caturay.
Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann, SU president, said that “higher education institutions across countries need to join hands in the task of building anew” amid the challenges of a post-pandemic world.
Thomas Wiersing, chargé d’affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said the EU agreed on organizing the annual fair online for the first time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This situation has become an opportunity for us to maximize the digital platform. By going virtual, we have more higher education institutions than ever presenting their programmes. We also hope to have a higher number of participants,” said Wiersing.
Ninety-three (93) European higher education institutions (EHEIs) from the EU will participate in EHEF 2020, namely EHEIs in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the Slovak Republic, which is joining the fair for the first time.
Wiersing said the fair will have a total of 29 webinars full of concise information about course offerings, research programs, sponsorships, and mobility opportunities. The fair will also include country presentations, live chat windows with EHEI representatives, virtual meeting rooms, and structured webinars to suit the information needs of students and university officials, all accessible through the EHEF 2020 website.
Aside from the shift to using digital platforms for the fair, Wiersing said EHEF 2020 also strived to reach out to more people by engaging the support of several universities as “regional hubs,” including SU.
Other universities assigned as regional hubs are Ateneo de Manila University (Metro Manila), Wesleyan University (Luzon), and Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan (Mindanao).
Students can also explore opportunities for distance learning through the virtual fair, with many EHEIs offering post-graduate degrees through distance education programs.
“Through this fair, the EU likes to underscore the importance of mobility, innovation, people-to-people links, and lifelong learning. The fair will therefore be a one-stop-shop to know more about the EU and why the EU has such a reputation as a centre of excellence in learning worldwide,” said Wiersing.
SU is also hosting the “Paglaum sa Panaghiusa (Hope in Solidarity)” virtual poetry reading, to be streamed October 19, 2020 at the EU Delegation to the Philippines Facebook page. The event is part of the Bersong Europinoy, a multicultural event celebrating the literary heritage and talents of EU and the Philippines organized by the EU Delegation.
Interested parties can pre-register at the EHEF website: www.ehefphilippines.com.
