Category: Technology

The government-run Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Ilocos Norte province continues to expand its international linkages around the globe with its latest partners, China’s Dezhou University (DZU) and Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS). Coming off a five-day business trip to China last week, MMSU president Shirley C. Agrupis reported Monday that they will embark on collaborative activities following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote educational and cultural exchanges. Agrupis, DZU president Zhao Changlin, and SAAS vice president Liu Kaichang signed the MOU in China, according to a news release. Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, who also traveled to China along with his team from the tourism, investment, and agriculture departments to promote Ilocos Norte’s business and tourism potentials to the Chinese market, witnessed the signing. For the next five years, MMSU and DZU will facilitate the exchange of faculty, researchers, and students; conduct international cooperation projects; and enhance cultural exchanges. Through the creation of the Shandong-Ilocos Norte Humanistic Education Exchange, they will also offer scholarship grants and establish a Philippine Research Institute; build Philippine Youth Exchange Base; and set up a joint laboratory for smart agriculture. MMSU and SAAS will likewise establish a joint research and development center for corn; conduct germplasm exchange and corn variety experiments; carry out various collaborative research; and strengthen cultural exchanges and cooperation. “I strongly believe that the synergistic collaboration between our universities will pave the way for a promising future, marked by our strong commitment and initiatives,” Agrupis said in a statement. Following the visit to China, several Chinese delegates from Ilocos Norte’s sister province of Shandong will travel to Ilocos Norte for a 10-day cultural exchange for students and professionals. The Ilocos Norte government will also offer an English enrichment scholarship for interested English language learners, including beginners, to study at MMSU. Two years ago, MMSU and the Shandong Academy also signed MOU for the implementation of agricultural science and technology programs. The MMSU library in Batac City campus currently hosts a Chinese Learning Center

Source: Philippines News Agency

– The Land Transportation Office has set the cost of medical examination for driver’s license and student permit application to a maximum rate of PHP300 in its accredited medical clinics. In a statement Monday, outgoing LTO chief Assistant Secretary Jay Art Tugade said the move is in response to complaints about the high prices of medical exams which cost between PHP500 and PHP700. ‘Mabigat na ang halaga na ito para sa ating mga ordinaryong mamamayan (This is a huge amount for ordinary citizens),’ Tugade said. Health facilities and medical clinics found violating the order face suspension of their accreditation for 90 days and fine of PHP10,000 for the first offense. For the second offense, violators face a 180-day suspension and PHP15,000 fine and perpetual disqualification for the third offense. Under Memorandum Circular 2018-2157 signed on Nov. 27, 2018, the agency can regulate medical examination fees although the maximum amount is not stated. ‘Accredited medical clinics have several variances of fees and charges causing discrepancy of rates. For standardization, the LTO deemed it proper and necessary to set the specific maximum medical examination fees to be charged from driver-applicant by accredited medical clinics,’ the circular read. The new memorandum circular signed by Tugade takes effect 15 days after its national publication

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Vietnam-Wales education cooperation workshop took place in Cardiff, Wales, gathering representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the Global Wales programme, the British Council, eight universities from Wales, and 30 from Vietnam.

As an activity marking the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-UK diplomatic relations, the workshop focused on the internationalisation of education, educational cooperation and training, and the exchange of lecturers and students between the universities of Vietnam and Wales via programmes that the two sides are implementing.

The programmes include the MoET’s Project 89 on capacity building for lecturers and managers of higher education institutions to meet the requirements of the sector’s fundamental and comprehensive renovation for 2019-2030 and the Taith programme established with a 65 million EUR (about 70.1 million USD) investment from the Welsh Government with a commitment to creating 25,000 opportunities for international learning and exchanges between 2022 and 2026.

Nguyen Anh Dung, deputy head of the MoET’s Department of Higher Education, introduced Project 89 in the hope of boosting cooperation and exchange to increase the number of Vietnamese PhD students studying in the UK under this project.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long pointed to high tuition fees and living costs as the main barriers facing Vietnamese students and doctoral students who want to study in the UK within the framework of Project 89.

To solve this problem, a number of universities in Wales proposed that the two sides study and discuss a funding mechanism to offset the difference in living costs.

Participating universities of the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation so that more Vietnamese students and researchers in different regions can access and benefit from the programme./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Department of Education (DepEd) is aiming to roll out the updated Kinder to Grade 10 (K-10) curriculum by school year (SY) 2024-2025, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said Friday. In an interview, Poa said the target rollout date is consistent with DepEd’s commitment to get and consider all public comments in order to fine-tune the K-10 curriculum before its implementation. ‘Of course, ang gusto nating makuha talaga, ay lahat ng comments ng public, ma-consider natin para ma-tweak pa natin further ‘yung K-10 curriculum (what we really like to happen is to get are all the comments so we can consider and further tweak the K-10 curriculum),’ he said, noting that the posted curriculum guide is just a draft. He also noted that in reference to the guide, the mother tongue shall still be used as a ‘medium of instruction.’ ‘It’s still a working draft, that’s why we want to get the comments. According to our curriculum guide, and we would like to clarify this, we did not remove the mother tongue as a medium of instruction. What we removed was mother tongue as a subject,’ Poa said. Currently, the DepEd’s curriculum strand is still in the process of collating these comments to help finalize the revised curriculum. The DepEd also assured that once finished, the draft of the updated curriculum guide for Grades 11 and 12 or Senior High School (SHS) shall also be released for transparency. ‘Consultation muna po tayo again, and then after that, magkakaroon muna tayo ng review proper and then saka na ‘yung revision (Again, we are still in the consultation [process], and then after that, we will first have the review proper, then the revision),’ Poa said. Last November, the DepEd started the curriculum review for SHS to adhere to the administration’s goal to ensure employable graduates. The DepEd, earlier, vowed to push for initiatives that will help improve the skills and competence of basic education graduates amid job mismatch challenges.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Lao students performed Sieng Khaen Lao dance at the 16th International Culture and Custom Exhibition at Shanghai University (SHU), Shanghai, China on May 10.

Sieng Khaen Lao dance is one of the highlights at the special event, festivals and other local celebrations. The khaen music is regarded by people of all ages as a beautiful and sweet sound that creates happiness.

In 2017, the UNESCO inscribed Khaen music of the Lao PDR on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The exhibition drew almost 30 booths showcasing rich culture of China and civilizations of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, R. Korea, France, Mongolia and Latin America.

“The International Culture and Custom Exhibition has changed the campus of SHU into a wonderful stage for the presentation of international culture and cuisines from difference countries,” said Wang Lina, a secretary of the Party Committee of the International Department of Shanghai University.

The 16th International Culture and Custom Exhibition, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China – May 10, 2023

At the event, a fashion show also allowed international and Chinese students to present their national costumes.

Mr Anousack Sengkhuen, a Lao year-two master student said, “This year we introduce Lao traditional culture, handicrafts, national flag, souvenirs, and sell Lao food and drinks, especially papaya salad, sticky rice and coconut jelly.”

“I am happy to present my culture to the world and share love with others. The International Culture and Custom Exhibition promotes multicultural understanding among different countries in the world. At this event, we showed posters of our tourist sites, food and souvenirs. I’d like to invite people from other countries to travel and explore the beautiful places in Pakistan, experience Pakistani food and hospitability, culture, sports and much more,” said a Pakistani PhD student Salah Ud Din.

Launched in 2007, the International Culture and Custom Exhibition aims to promote cultural exchange and understanding between Chinese students and their foreign fellows.

More than 4,000 international students from over 100 countries in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and America are studying at Shanghai University. These include twenty-three students from the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency

The University of Havana (UH) and the East China Normal University, agreed to open a multidisciplinary center for studies on Latin America and the Caribbean, which will strengthen cooperation in the educational sphere.

The decision was made during a meeting between Lei Qili, vice-president of the Chinese academy, and Marian Hernández, first vice-rector of the UH.

December last, Dionisio Zaldívar, UH vice-rector, commented to Prensa Latina about the expressed interest of the East China Normal University to undertake this project.

Zaldívar also spoke of contacts established with the Shanghai International Studies, the Shanghai Normal University and other universities in the provinces of Henan, Shandong and Jiangsu. He mentioned the strong willingness of all these entities to work with Cuba on issues such as teaching Spanish language and culture, although they also seek to collaborate in tourism and economy sectors.

During Zaldívar’s visit to China last year, the UH and the Shanghai University of Science and Technology opened a joint international center and laboratory on cancer diagnosis, and by this cementing their relationship.

In addition, the UH joined the University Alliance of the Silk Road, led by Xian Jiao Tong University, and the International Agriculture Consortium led by Jiangsu University.

Source: Lao News Agency