The report tackles the creation of a favourable environment to incentivize collaboration with foreign higher education institutions (FHEIs) in the Philippines and elsewhere. The report supports the British Council’s publication in 2015 of “Opportunities and Challenges in the Internationalisation of the Philippine Higher Education Sector” which raised and explored some fundamental questions about the future direction for both the Philippine government and the higher education (HE) sector. Primary concerns are on encouraging more high quality foreign HEIs to operate in the Philippines and on identifying and addressing legislative and regulatory barriers.

Highlights

The report proposes a “Model Law” or a legal blueprint which aims to give statutory form to the various incentives and related findings discussed. The Model Law is framed as a national statute that could be adopted by the Philippine Congress, whose provisions are designed to incentivize domestic and overseas academic sectors to build joint international partnerships. A review of applicable statutes, rules and regulations, Supreme Court cases which deal with HEIs, research centres and “think tanks,” and schools conducting vocational training and education was undertaken to provide the basis for the proposed Model Law.