Erasmus+ is one of the largest scholarship programs worldwide geared towards the promotion of education and sports to the youth in the European Union (EU). The program has become one of the popular channels through which the EU developed good cooperation and collaboration between countries that promote and support academic mobility for students, faculty and staff. The Erasmus+ program offers stakeholders many opportunities to gain valuable academic, cultural and practical experiences beyond the walls of their school.
Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U) has signed an inter-institutional agreement with the
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) in Spain through the Erasmus+ program for student and faculty exchange. Selected fourth year BS Architecture students from the ISAT U College of Engineering and Architecture, Frexie Jan G. Lorca, Lara A. Taclima, Krisha Angeli P. Raquiz, are in Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Spain, as of this writing, for their internship from June 1 to July 31, 2022. Architect Regina Falconite – Head of the Architecture Department will be joining the students on July 8, 2022 and will teach in the College of Architecture until her scheduled return to the country on July 31, 2022. Furthermore, Dr. Nemia H. Mabaquiao – Vice President for External Affairs and Dr. Juniffer B. Badoles – Director of the National and International Affairs Office have recently arrived from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid from their two-week faculty mobility program.
The students and faculty members of ISAT U received a mobility grant from Erasmus+ which made their travel to Madrid, Spain possible. The selected architecture students have been introduced to some faculty members of the College of Engineering and Architecture of UPM who will serve as their supervisor and overseer for the rest of their stay in the University, while the ISAT U faculty representatives were given a chance to benchmark some of the best practices of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and to establish linkages with other colleges and programs in the University.
For an Erasmus+ grant, the students have to be regular students at a university. Erasmus+ enables
students to complete parts of their studies abroad at a university in participating countries. Their study achievements abroad will be credited towards their regular studies if they correspond to the study plan. This student and faculty exchange program between ISAT U and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is the start of future collaborations made possible by the Erasmus+ program.
-Jieza J. Napone, LPT, MA.Ed.
