Welcome Remarks by Ambassador Bill Tweddell
Australia Future Unlimited - Education Partnership Forum 2013
Manila Rooms A & B, Makati Shangri-la Hotel
16 May 2013 at 2.00 pm
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Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the visiting delegation of Australian institutions, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Australia Future Unlimited - Education Partnership Forum 2013.
We appreciate your presence, and your interest in exploring partnerships with the representatives of the 16 participating Australian universities and institutes. During today’s Forum, we encourage you to explore partnership models, including: articulation, dual qualifications / twinning programs, locally-delivered Australian programs, agency agreements and consulting.
This is an opportune time to explore partnerships with Australian institutions because of two major developments in the Philippines: namely the on-going reforms in the education system and the strong economy.
The Philippines’ Tertiary Education sector is currently re-developing its curriculum in response to the new Philippines Qualification Framework (PQF), which is anchored on an outcomes-based model. The goal of this reform is to ensure that the Philippines meets international education standards. You will be interested to note that the PQF closely resembles our own Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which has been in place for 18 years. The Australian universities and other institutions present today comply with the AQF, hence, a partnership can lead to both an Australian and a Philippine qualification.
In terms of the national economy, Australia is encouraged by the stable growth and positive outlook for the Philippines. The international community is starting to take notice of the progress being made, resulting in increased interest in investment and trade. With this growth, key industries require both professional and skilled workers who meet international standards. The government has identified priority sectors such as Tourism, Infrastructure, and Agriculture. Growth in industries such as Banking and Finance, ICT and Business Process Outsourcing, and Advanced Manufacturing also demand high-calibre talent. These needs can be met by an international partnership on education and training.
Australia has a world class education system and is highly ranked worldwide in research and development. We have 39 universities and 8 of them are in the world’s top 100. Over 100 countries recognize Australian degrees, diplomas and certificates. For vocational education, we have 4,000 vocational education and training institutes which deliver programs that ensure graduates meet industry standards and are work-ready. These are some of the reasons we have approximately 5,000 Filipinos studying in Australia right now. And we do welcome Filipino students – they are diligent, excellent communicators, work well in a team and are very friendly.
In terms of partnerships, there are currently 11 transnational education partnerships between Philippine and Australian institutions. Some of their representatives are here today. Australian Catholic University is partnered with the Australian International School in the Philippines for the local delivery of a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. William Angliss Institute has a partnership with Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) for their Coffee Academy. Arellano University have partnerships in Nursing, Psychology and IT. Genting Star Academy delivers an Australian Diploma in Hospitality. These examples demonstrate that a partnership with Australia is viable, sustainable and mutually beneficial.
We invite you to take advantage of the presence of our participating Australian institutions here today.
The Australian Embassy is committed to assist you in forging meaningful relationships in international education to help your organisations “Discover a Future Unlimited Through An Australian Education”.
Thank you and good afternoon.