CSU OIC PRESIDENT IBÁÑEZ JOINS PHILIPPINE DELEGATION IN CAMBODIA STATE VISIT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION COOPERATION

Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Cagayan State University (CSU) OIC President Dr. Arthur I. Ibañez represented the university and the Philippine higher education sector as one of the official delegates in the state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to Cambodia from September 7 – 9, 2025.

Dr. Ibañez joined Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, University of the Philippines President Angelo Jimenez, Batangas State University President Tirso Ronquillo, and other key Philippine officials in this high-level diplomatic engagement aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in education.

One of the highlights of the state visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in the Field of Higher Education between CHED led by Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis and Sport and Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MOEYS) headed by Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, witnessed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on September 8, 2025, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

The agreement provides a framework to enhance academic and research collaborations between the two nations, covering student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, academic information-sharing, and credit transfer arrangements. Priority areas include health sciences, allied medical services, aviation, science, technology, and innovation.

For CSU and its partner institutions, the MOU opens more opportunities to strengthen internationalization programs and expand cross-border initiatives such as academic mobility, joint conferences, and collaborative research.

Dr. Ibañez emphasized that the university’s participation highlights its commitment to contributing to the broader goals of the Philippine higher education sector in advancing regional academic cooperation.

“It is a distinct honor to join this important mission led by CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis. Representing CSU in this delegation affirms our commitment to building stronger linkages with Cambodian institutions and contributing to the long-term vision of inclusive and globally competitive higher education. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to CHED for making CSU part of this significant endeavor,” Dr. Ibañez said.

The Philippine delegation also included Cabinet officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Migrant Workers, Presidential Communications Office, and the Department of Transportation, as well as Ambassador Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo, who joined President Marcos in his official engagements.