17 December 2024
Through the years, Benilde has established itself as a local higher education institution with global standards. This is why it is no surprise that it has secured partnerships with international institutions and organizations especially among other Lasallian schools. These partnerships aim to further improve partner institutions’ academic and professional benchmarks, with their students’ welfare at the forefront.
Such is the case of recently finished exchange students from UniLaSalle in France. Hailing from similar backgrounds and programs, the participating students are part of Benilde Global’s initiative to foster international education and cultural exchange.
According to De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Center for Partnership and Development Director Oscar Sherlo Reyes, Benilde and UniLaSalle France have been long-standing partners since 2008, working together to strengthen academic collaboration. A key component of this partnership is the student exchange program, which he says allows Benildean students to enroll in credit-earning courses and spend a term studying at UniLaSalle France. Similarly, UniLaSalle students have the opportunity to study in Benilde under the same framework.
“Similar to Benilde Global—the internationalization program of Benilde—UniLaSalle offers its own initiative called GoLaSalle. This program provides students with the opportunity to study for a term at any of UniLaSalle’s partner institutions worldwide,” Reyes gives context. He furthers that students are guided on the diverse range of partner universities and countries available, allowing them to explore and choose destinations that align with their academic goals and cultural interests. “This initiative underscores both institutions’ commitment to expanding global education and fostering cross-cultural experiences for their students,” the director expresses.
This year, the latest cohort of eight UniLaSalle exchange students arrived in the Philippines last August 19 to embark on their enriching academic and cultural journey. But as with all programs, theirs have come to an end.
Elona Shricke, who studies Food and Health Engineering in France, says that she chose Benilde specifically for her exchange program because she wanted to cook in a different culture and that Filipino food was what convinced her the most. Although she experienced some restrictions as she is vegetarian, she shares that it was the cooking classes that she enjoyed the most during her stay.
