International Relations Office seeks alliance with university in France

Far Eastern University (FEU), through its International Relations Office (IRO), continues to expand its global academic network with a partnership visit to Aix-Marseille Université (amU) in France last Sept. 23 and 24. The visit aimed to explore possible areas of collaboration in undergraduate and graduate programs, including student exchange initiatives, academic mobility, and research cooperation. 

The FEU delegation, led by Agnes Beatrice Silva, director of IRO, was received by officials from amU’s Office of International Affairs and its Faculty of Economics and Management. Also joining the visit were representatives from amU’s École de Journalisme et de Communication d’Aix-Marseille (EJCAM)—the university’s Communication and Media College. The engagement was supported by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, underscoring FEU’s growing presence in France’s academic landscape. 

The visit began with a campus tour and meeting at EJCAM Marseille, where Silva met with David Goldie, head of the Master’s Program in Digital Information and Communication of Organisations and Media, and Daria Shebarova, officer for International Cooperation for Asia. Discussions centered on exchange program structures, mobility coordination, and shared learning spaces. 

The day after, the FEU delegation proceeded to Aix-en-Provence, where Silva was welcomed by Rosalind Boniface, director of International Cooperation, and Eva Fajardo, exchange program coordinator for University-Wide Agreements. Their agenda focused on international mobility agreements and potential course linkages for exchange students. A subsequent session at the Faculty of Economics and Management included dialogues with Esther Nalda, head of the International Office, and Karine Gente, pedagogical feferent for International Relations, followed by a campus tour and working lunch at Restaurant Les Arcades. 

The amU visit followed earlier engagements in Manila last June 25 when FEU’s Institute of Arts and Sciences, led by then dean Diego Jose Abad, welcomed representatives from amU. Present at the meeting were Silva, Pocholo Martillo (IRO coordinator), Carl Joseph Jamosin (department chair of Mathematics), and Dr. Benjamin Bolo (department chair of Biology). 

Additionally, FEU IRO strengthened its diplomatic presence by attending the Bastille Day celebration hosted by the Embassy of France last July 14 at Fairmont Makati, reinforcing its commitment to cultural diplomacy and international collaboration.