A delegation of UH officials including Dean William Fitzgibbon visited several University of Philippines system campuses (UP Diliman, UP Manila, and UP Los Baños ) in early January. While there, the group established a system-wide memo of understanding (MOU) with the University of Philippines and work on the expansion of an existing academic partnership. UH officials included Dr. Jerald W. Strickland, Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Studies and Programs; Dr. John L. Bear, Special Assistant for International Graduate Students Initiatives; and Dr. Arnold M. Guloy, UP alumnus and Associate Department Chair for the Department of Chemistry.
UH has a Dual PhD Program Agreement with the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), through the College of Science's Institute of Chemistry. Signed in February 2012, the agreement is intended for highly qualified graduate students who have earned their masters degrees. Upon completion of the program, graduates obtain the PhD degree from both the UH Department of Chemistry of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Institute of Chemistry in the College of Science at the UPD.
The planned expansion of academic collaboration will include UPD's College of Arts and Letters, the College of Engineering, the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, and other units of College of Science i.e., the Institute of Mathematics and the National Institute of Physics.
Dean Fitzgibbon also visited the Technological Institute of the Philippines to initiate the development of a MOU between the College of Technology and the institute. Founded in 1962, The Technological Institute of the Philippines is a private, non-sectarian, tertiary level institution in the Philippines, which heavily specializes in the field of engineering.
The Philippine education systems are patterned after the American system with educational programs in English. "Traditionally, the university has attracted high quality students from the Philippines," said Dean Fitzgibbon. "These partnerships are highly advantageous opportunities that pave the way toward our offering more UH students the benefits of an international experience."