03 NOVEMBER 2022, PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES – The International Cooperation Agreement (ICA) between the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was signed on 21 October 2022, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. and DOST-SEI Director Josette Biyo signed the accord for the DOST-SEI, while QUT School of Teacher Education and Leadership Head Prof. Dann Mallet and QUT International Projects Unit Director Nelson Salangsang represented QUT. The ICA signing was witnessed by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Hae Kyong Yu.

Through the agreement, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the Philippines gets a much-needed boost as 28 STEM teachers obtained full scholarships for postgraduate studies in Australia.

Secretary Solidum, Jr., stated that the partnership will strengthen the country’s S and T human capital. He also highlighted the importance of qualified STEM teachers in producing competent researchers, engineers, and scientists, especially amid a pandemic and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The partnership also fuels DOST-SEI’s “Scholarship for the Advancement of STEM Education” or Project SASE. Project SASE is a capacity building program under DOST-SEI’s Foreign Graduate Scholarships (FGS) that offer full scholarship to MS and PhD students mostly in fields of study not yet available in the Philippines. The scholars are challenged to develop innovative STEM teaching strategies and lead the transformation of STEM education in the country.

The first batch of scholars are from the Philippine Science High School System (PSHS) System. Sixteen teachers will take Master of Education specializing in STEM Education, while 12 will pursue Doctor of Education at the QUT in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to commence in January 2023. – END