On May 26, 2025, the "Chinese Bridge" education officials from Confucius Institute at the University of the Philippines visited our institute. The delegation includes the President and Vice President of Saint Louis University, the President and Vice President of Medical College of Northern Philippines, the Dean of Asian center of University of the Philippines-Diliman, the Dean of Dean of College of Innovative Teacher Educationof University of Makati, the Administrative Assistant to the Office of the President & Institute of Education of City College of San Fernando Pampanga, as well as other relevant leaders and government officials from multiple Philippine higher education institutions. The delegation was led by Professor Zhi Xiaojing, the Chinese Dean of the Confucius Institute at the University of the Philippines, and Professor Lourdes T. Nepomuceno, the Foreign Dean.Professor Bie Dunrong, Dean of our institute, receives the visiting guests and accompanied them on a tour of the institute’s teaching facilities and resources. Professor Wu Wei, Associate Professor Lian Jinjun, Associate Professor Hong Zhizhong, along with other faculty members and students, participated in the discussion session. The symposium was chaired by Professor Wu Wei.
Dean Bie Dunrong extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation of education officials from Confucius Institute at the University of the Philippines. He introduced to the attendees the institute’s development history, research fields, faculty strength, and international exchanges. He stated that by consistently strengthening research and exploration in disciplines such as higher education theory and policy, education governance and high-quality education assurance systems, as well as regional and international education, the institute continuously enhances its academic influence as a "national hub for higher education research." He reviewed the historical interactions between the institute and the higher education sector in the Philippines, elaborated on the institute’s tradition of research on Southeast Asian higher education, and highlighted the academic exchanges and collaborations between its faculty, students, and institutions in Southeast Asian countries in recent years.
President Macwaye N. Maniwang of Saint Louis University stated that international cooperation in higher education is an important measure to address global development challenges. He expressed the hope that this symposium further promotes academic exchanges between Philippine higher education institutions and Xiamen University, expands the scope of international collaboration, and focuses on advancing practical cooperation in areas such as talent cultivation and international student exchanges.
Professor Lourdes T. Nepomuceno, Foreign Director of Confucius Institute-UPD, introduced the College of Education at the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Confucius Institute at the University of the Philippines. She stated that the Confucius Institute plays a bridging role in promoting cooperation between Chinese and Philippine universities. Although six years have passed, she remained deeply impressed by the in-depth exchanges during her last visit to the institute. She hoped that both sides could continue to establish closer and broader collaborative relationships in areas such as research cooperation, academic exchanges between faculty and students, and joint conferences.
Cris M. Balingit, Academic Affairs Associate of City College ofSan Fernando Pampanga; Jayson Bergania, Dean of College of Innovative Teacher Education of University of Makati; and Cristina Amelia G. Natividad, Vice President of Medical College of NorthernPhilippines, introduced the development of their respective institutions and expressed their strong anticipation for further cooperation between both sides in the future.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dean Bie Dunrong and the guests exchanged commemorative gifts, bringing the symposium to a successful close. The visit by the delegation of education officials from Philippine universities laid a solid foundation for strengthening in-depth exchanges and cooperation between our institute and Philippine higher education institutions in areas such as educational philosophy, academic research, and talent cultivation. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in jointly advancing the development of higher education and cross-cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines.
