| The Philippines-Australia Studies
Network (PASN) initiated its first roundtable discussion
titled Filipino Encounters with Education Australia in
the afternoon of 31 January 2005 at the Pangilinan Hall,
PLDT-CTC Building, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola
Heights Campus. The event brought together a select group
of Filipinos who studied in Australia to reflect on their
experiences as foreign students and the impact of those
experiences on their lives and current engagements with
Philippine society. The group was composed of Filipinos
and Australians from the academe, the government, and
the private sector. The event started with lunch at 12:00
noon, and ended with cocktails at 5:30 p.m.
The discussions centered on how personal experiences
of Filipinos who studied in Australia had broadened their
perspective of the world, the contextual differences in
what higher education means in Australia and the Philippines,
and how the system of sending scholars to study in Australia
could be improved. Another roundtable exchange may be
held next year.
Among the notable attendees were Ruth Pearce, the Australian
Ambassador, and Dr. Fe Hidalgo, Undersecretary of the
Department of Education. Dr. Antonette Palma-Angeles,
Academic Vice-President of the Ateneo, gave the welcome
remarks. Dr. Filomeno V. Aguilar, Jr., Director of PASN,
served as moderator. The Philippines-Australia Alumni
Association, Inc., (PA3i) showed a strong presence, being
represented by five of its officers, including the founding
president and adviser, Mr. Roque Magno, and the current
president, Ms. Ruby Andrion. Two other officers, Ms. Alma
Generao and Arch. Stanley Fernandez III, gave presentations.
Other presenters were Dr. Lorraine Salazar of the University
of the Philippines Department of Geography, and Atty.
Soliman Santos of the Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute.
PASN
Roundtable Photos
Reflections of
Speakers
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