Since November 2018, the British Council and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have been organising focus group discussions (FGDs) to identify emerging priorities for transnational education (TNE) in the Philippines with university leaders and faculty members in selected higher education institutions in Dumaguete, Cebu, Davao, Metro Manila and most recently in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The FGDs were led by a technical working group comprised of leads of the British Council-CHED project, the Joint Development of Niche Programmes through Philippine-UK Linkages (JDNP). As recipients of JDNP and having gone through the TNE development process, the sharing from the technical working group provides participants with first-hand account on their TNE journey and the challenges and benefits of TNE partnerships. Another round of FGDs is scheduled to happen in June in Iloilo, Naga, Cagayan de Oro and La Union.
The scoping study is envisioned to provide a framework for TNE development in the Philippines. CHED and the British Council aim to leverage on the success of JDNP to further promote internationalisation of the Philippine higher education sector.
JDNP has produced 17 joint, dual and double postgraduate degree programmes from UK-Philippine higher education partnerships.