Foreign degree earned locally

That once inconceivable and totally unheard of idea of earning a degree from a foreign institution without leaving the country is actually a possibility today. Again, thanks to the Internet.

Back in those days when I was in college, to have a masteral degree from Harvard University for instance, you would have to actually study in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A doctorate earned from Yale University entailed staying in New Haven, Connecticut. Made perfect logical sense. You had to be physically present in the place where that institution was. For how could that institution confer upon you a degree if you never studied in its halls, learned from its professors and interacted with classmates in its classrooms? Earning a degree in the Philippines from an institution abroad, the campus of which you never even set foot on, was a ludicrous idea and, consequently, an impossible achievement.

Fast forward to today. That once inconceivable and totally unheard of idea of earning a degree from a foreign institution without leaving the country is actually a possibility today. Again, thanks to the Internet, there are a myriad of online programs offered by foreign institutions to us here in the Philippines, which if taken will make us graduates of said institutions. Interesting is it not?

Imagine the countless advantages and convenience. A well-known educational institution based in Singapore for instance offers a course online. You take it at the comforts of your home in the Philippines. When you finish it, you are conferred a degree recognized in Singapore and other countries. Think of the innumerable work opportunities this has opened up for you. With a degree from a Singaporean institution obtained here, you are not at a disadvantage compared to locals vying for the same job in Singapore. And since we Filipinos have that distinct advantage of being proficient in English, add to that our industry and dedication, it is not at all difficult for that institution to hire you. And what is best is, in the process of earning that degree, you were able to avoid all those unwanted concomitant expenses — plane fares, board and lodging, in studying abroad. Add to the inconvenience of adjusting to a new environment, being separated from your family and friends in the Philippines.

And because of this fast-growing and ever-evolving educational arrangement, our President has inked into law Republic Act 11448. This is the Transnational Higher Education Act approved on 28 August 2019. “The State shall actively encourage, promote, and accelerate the establishment of transnational higher education programs, the internationalization of higher education in the country, and the development of the transnational higher education sector… It shall develop collaborative arrangements between and among Philippine universities and training institutes, on one hand, and foreign universities, on the other, with the aim of building the capacity of all partner institutions to operate, manage and administer postsecondary and graduate programs and provide opportunities for students and learners to gain or acquire valuable experiences, skills and knowledge as well as international and foreign diplomas, degrees and certificates. (Section 2, RA 11448)”

The law allows different arrangements for these foreign institutions to offer their education programs in the Philippines. For one, there is distance education. “A mode of educational delivery whereby the teacher and the learner are physically separated from each other, the instruction being delivered through appropriate communication technologies using specially designed materials and methods, and supported by organizational and administrative arrangements and structures. (Section 3, RA 11448).” Or that foreign institution can enter into a franchising agreement with a local institution, whereby the latter is allowed to offer the former’s programs. In the alternative and if it wants to, that foreign institution can actually set up shop in the Philippines to offer its own courses.

Whatever arrangement is had, it is truly amazing for us, is it not? What seemed an impossible feat some 30 years back is now concrete reality today. Suddenly the geographical barrier has disappeared. We can now earn degrees from foreign institutions we once just dreamt of having. So next time you aspire to obtain a degree from the foreign university you truly wish for, do not be discouraged. Chase it even if on Philippine soil. It is a reality which is very much within your local reach.