Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) has joined the Guangxi International Sister-Cities Vocational Education Alliance, expanding its international academic network and opening new opportunities for collaboration in digital education, artificial intelligence, and technical-vocational training.

The university was formally inducted into the alliance during a study mission in China on 25 June.

Established in 2022, the alliance aims to strengthen the sister-city partnership between Guangxi, China, and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. With its membership, MMSU joins a network of 37 international vocational institutions and 22 schools across the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

MMSU said it qualified for membership through the technical-vocational programs offered by its College of Industrial Technology (CIT) and College of Teacher Education (CTE).

Representing the university during the study mission were Prof. Jeanette Dials, Director of Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnerships; Ralph Perdido, Secretary of the College of Computer and Information Sciences (CCIS); and Kristoffer Enrik Paulino, a faculty member of the College of Teacher Education.

The MMSU delegation joined representatives from Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cebu Province in a series of academic and institutional engagements in Nanning City.

As part of the mission, the delegates visited the Guangxi-ASEAN Embodied AI Pilot Training Base and the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center, where they explored emerging technologies in smart cities, artificial intelligence, digital governance, and their applications in education.

The delegation also held bilateral discussions with Chinese institutions on prospective partnerships in faculty and student exchange programs, information technology, artificial intelligence in education, automotive technology, and health sciences. Separate talks with Guangxi Health Science College focused on scholarship opportunities and broader academic cooperation.

According to MMSU, the alliance is expected to facilitate several internationalization initiatives, including language training programs, cultural webinars, participation in the ASEAN-China Expo, health sciences skills competitions, and cultural immersion activities beginning this July.

A joint skills competition between MMSU and Guangxi Health Science College is also scheduled for September as part of the expanding partnership.

University officials said membership in the alliance will strengthen institutional linkages with partner universities and further advance MMSU's international academic engagement.