Young Filipino artists can now immerse themselves in the world-renowned arts and cultural heritage of Thailand through an international student exchange program.

In their shared mission to advance ASEAN academic and creative cooperation, the initiative was made possible as Chulalongkorn University strengthened its joint academic venture with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Founded in 1917 by King Rama VI as a tribute to his father, King Rama V, Chula serves as Thailand’s first institution of higher learning. It empowers students with professional know-how and research skills and champions preservation of arts, culture and values.

Through Chula’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts and Benilde’s School of Arts, Culture and Performance, the two reinforced their alliance as a strategic step to build a more integrated ASEAN creative ecosystem.

This was formalized through the signing of the memorandum of understanding spearheaded by Chula FAA Dean Dr. Kumkom Pornprasit and Benilde SACP Dean Magdalena de Leon.

Students pursuing their formal education in Dance, Production Design, Theater Arts, Music Fine Arts in Culture-Based Arts and Creative Industries Management Programs of Benilde SACP are given the opportunity to participate in an extensive exchange program at Chula.

This will allow the students to further develop their craft under the tutelage of the practitioners and experts of Thailand’s top university, to build their cross-cultural awareness and confidence. They will also earn a broader perspective not only in their respective disciplines but also in the global industry standards.

Benilde will likewise open its doors to talents from the departments of Music, Visual Arts, Dance and Creative Arts of Chulalongkorn University. This enables foreign delegates to expand their knowledge of their craft within the inclusive and innovative learning environment of the college.

The agreement paves the way for immersive studio engagement, workshops and performance exchanges to enhance intercultural learning, regional understanding and professional exposure.

The mobility program is available to full-time students. Academic credits earned during the stay will be awarded by the host university and transferred to and recognized by their home universities.

The schools of learning are exploring ways to promote curriculum innovation, research exchanges, joint creative productions, cross-border dialogue in arts and cultural management and faculty mobility.