PH Consulate General in Calgary Pushes for Wider Cooperation Between USask, PH Agencies, Universities

Philippine Consul General to Calgary Zaldy Patron (second from right, first row), Dr. Meghna Ramaswamy (second from left, first row), Dr. Anurag Saxena (rightmost, first row), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Prospero De Vera III (third from right, first row), together with officials of CHED University of the Philippines Office of International Linkages, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Kalinga State University, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture and Ifugao State University during their meeting in CHED on 14 January 2020. (Calgary PCG)

CALGARY 10 February 2020 — Upon the invitation of the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary, officials of the University of Saskatchewan (USask) visited the Philippines on 14 January 2020 to pursue education and technical cooperation with various Philippine agencies and universities.

Accompanied by Philippine Consul General to Calgary Zaldy Patron, USask Director of International Research Dr. Meghna Ramaswamy, and Associate Dean for Post-graduate Medical Education (PGME) Dr. Anurag Saxena, met with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). They also had discussions with the University of the Philippines (UP) Office of International Linkages (OIL), UP Los Baños, Kalinga State University (KSU), Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA), Ifugao State University (ISU), and Aklan State University (ASU). The Consulate arranged these various meetings.

During this visit, USask and the Philippine agencies and universities identified potential areas of cooperation in agriculture, health, indigenous people, vaccine development, synchrotron technology, among others. The cooperation could involve joint funding and research, visiting professor and student programs, cotutelle program (dual PhD program), training, and hosting of international conferences. They also discussed scholarship program for Filipino post-graduate students in USask.

USask, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities (U15), Canada’s top research intensive medical and doctoral universities. Its centers of excellence include the Canadian Light Source, Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization International Vaccine Center (VIDO–InterVac), Global Institute for Food Security, Global Institute for Water Security, and Sylvia Fedoruk Centre for Nuclear Innovation. 

USask has existing partnership with Catanduanes State University.

“The Consulate is optimistic that USask and the Philippine agencies and universities will be able to implement concrete programs and undertake joint activities to widen the cooperation between them,” Consul General Patron said after the conclusion of USask’s series of meetings in the Philippines last 23 January 2020.

On 05 September 2019, the Consul General visited USask campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and met with USask President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Peter Stoicheff to promote education cooperation between the Philippines and USask. END

Philippine Consul General to Calgary Zaldy Patron (eighth from left) and Dr. Meghna Ramaswamy (ninth from left) together with the officials of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) during their meeting in the DFA on 23 January 2020. (Calgary PCG photo)

Philippine Consul General to Calgary Zaldy Patron (right) and University of Saskatchewan (USask) President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Peter Stoicheff during their meeting in USask campus on 05 September 2019. (Calgary PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.calgarypcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinCalgary/.