As the world goes through an unforeseen and unprecedented change this year, it is now all the more evident that there is a need to make our lives future-proof. One guaranteed way of ensuring this is through higher education.ย
The European Delegation to the Philippines, together with the EU member-states embassies and cultural offices, will inaugurate this yearโs European Higher Education Fair (EHEF)ย on 2 October 2020 via www.ehefphilippines.com and the EU Delegation Facebook Page at 1:30pm. The Fair will open from 14.00 h to 20.00 h. on 2 and 3 October.
Mr. Thomas Wiersing, Chargรฉ dโaffaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said that EHEF 2020 is a milestone event because โthis is the first-ever virtual staging of the much-awaited showcase for Filipino students who dream of pursuing higher education in the EU.โ Mr Wiersing will be joined by officials from the Commission on Higher Education as well as ambassadors and counsellors from the EU member statesโ embassies and cultural institutes.ย Rizal Technological Universityโs Choir RTU Himig with conductor Mr Ranier Aguilar shall render the PH and the EU anthems during the opening ceremony. Youth achievers who graduated from European universities who are dubbed goodwill ambassadorsย as well as alumni of the EUโs Erasmus+ and Marie Curie programmesย will be available to share their experience with students and academicians during the two-day EHEF.ย
This yearโs theme, โStudy in Europe: The Future is EUrs,โ further reinforces EUโs distinction as a center of excellence in higher education by highlighting its successful efforts to be one of the early adopters of digital innovations in education through online and blended learning.ย
#VirtualEHEF2020PH is also the biggest edition thus far with 93 participating European higher education institutions (EHEIs) from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Slovak Republic, Finland and Sweden.
With EHEF 2020 going digital, Filipino students and educators outside Metro Manila can now register and participate in various programs of the fair. There will be webinars on research, scholarship, and mobility opportunities for students as well as country presentations and live chats with HEI representatives, alumni, and scholars. Another added feature this year is the virtual meeting rooms for Philippine higher education institutions (PHEIs) and their EU counterparts for linkages and collaboration opportunities.ย
Going virtual has also enabled EHEF 2020 to go regional for the first time, and in real-time. Regional partner institutions Ateneo de Manila University (Manila), Wesleyan University (Luzon), Silliman University (Visayas), and Xavier University โAteneo de Cagayan (Mindanao) will be co-hosting clustered presentations for interested students and educators alike.
The EU Delegation has also collaborated with the following university partners: Mabalacat City College, De La Salle University, Mindanao State University, Tarlac Agricultural University, Saint Louis University, Notre Dame College of Tacurong, Ateneo de Davao University, Rizal Technological University, University of the Cordilleras and Cebu Technological Universityย
EHEF 2020 is organized by the Delegation of theย Europeanย Union to the Philippines, together with EU Member Statesโ Embassies in partnership with the Commission onย Higherย Educationย (CHED) and supported by media partners Business Mirror โ Envoys & Expats, Business World Spark Up, Gadgets Magazine, Roots & Wings Online, Sub Selfie, The Philippine Business and News, and When in Manila.