14 December 2015- Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN Elizabeth P. Buensuceso encouraged ASEAN and China to take advantage of the designation of 2016 as ASEAN-China Year of Educational Exchanges to promote understanding and build cooperation between the two sides.

Speaking at the Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China on 4 December 2015 after the 5th ASEAN-China Center (ACC) Joint Council Meeting, Ambassador Buensuceso said university and educational exchanges will be important instruments to build more connectivity linkages between ASEAN and China.

“We can use the ASEAN-China Center, the 2016-2020 ASEAN-China Plan of Action, and the 2016 ASEAN-China Educational Exchanges Year as avenues to promote more educational exchanges between ASEAN and China,” Ambassador Buensuceso emphasized during the ACC Joint Council’s meeting with Yunnan Minzu University officials and students.

The Ambassador expressed appreciation to the plan of Yunnan Minzu University to establish a Philippine language program in 2016. Yunnan Minzu University currently offers language programs and scholarships to international students from Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia.  Some ACC Joint Council members also suggested the possible establishment of an ASEAN Studies Center at the university.

Ambassador Buensuceso suggested that Yunnan Minzu University also consider establishing links with Philippine universities, citing the case of De La Salle University which recently reached an agreement with three of the top universities in China to promote student and faculty exchanges; language and cultural studies; and collaborative workshops and seminars. The three Chinese universities are the Shanghai Jao Tong University; School of International Relations and Public Affairs – Fudan University; and the School of Natural Sciences and Humanities - Harbin Institute of Technology in Shenzhen.

Members of the ACC Joint Council visited Yunnan Minzu University after their annual meeting in Kunming. The Joint Council discussed the 2016 ACC work program, including its proposed budget, and the proposed amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the ACC. The ACC was established to promote trade, investment, tourism, education, and culture between ASEAN and China. END