Bertiz, other TESDA officials to attend U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative

January 30, 2023

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) officials, headed by Deputy Director General for TESD Operations Aniceto D. Bertiz III, are set to participate as fellows in the U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative (UCI) in the United States of America (USA).

DDG Bertiz will attend the program in Washington DC from February 17 to 25, 2023, and will be joined by TESDA Technology Institution administrators Angelica Gonzales and Grace Florentino.

The initiative is administered through the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program, which builds the capacity of U.S. colleges and universities to engage in global partnerships and study abroad programming aligned with U.S. foreign policy goals.

The UCI will bring together 50 leaders from diverse colleges and universities in the United States and eight ASEAN member countries—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam—for a series of virtual and in-person training designed to foster sustainable international academic partnerships and the two-way exchange of students, scholars, and researchers between U.S. and Southeast Asian higher education institutions.

According to DDG Bertiz, who is also the TESDA spokesperson, the Philippines, through TESDA, can learn more about the best practices in the education sector particularly in the implementation of technical vocational education and training (TVET) during the training.

The TESDA official vowed that the learnings they will gain during the training will be considered in the formulation and review of new and existing TESDA programs and services.

“We welcome our participation in the U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative as this gives us a chance to exchange best practices with U.S. academics, and explore opportunities for collaborative research and teaching initiatives.” DDG Bertiz said.

“We will continue to strengthen our engagements with international stakeholders to further advance the Philippine TVET ecosystem and ensure that TESDA training is at par with international standards,” he added.