Thirteen member states of the European Union have stepped forward together in Manila, offering Filipino students a window onto what European campuses can give them. The occasion is the coming European Higher Education Fair 2026, where more than seventy universities and partner institutions will gather to make the case for study abroad. It arrives on the heels of the new EU–Philippines Enhanced Partnership, which promises more movement of students and teachers between the two sides. Such exchanges have long been understood as more than a path to a diploma; they are a way of building understandi
13 EU Member States to Showcase Study Abroad Options at Manila's European Higher Education Fair
Students gain more than academic knowledge
Mark
Thirteen countries in one room. Why does that matter for a student in Manila?
Mimi
Because it puts many options in one place. Over two days at Robinsons Manila, a student can talk to representatives from Austria to Sweden, with more than 70 universities, embassies and partners taking part.
Mark
Nowicka talked about more than academic knowledge. What was she getting at?
Mimi
She said students who study abroad meet new ideas and cultures and build an understanding that can support cooperation long after they finish.
Luke
That's a hope stated at a press conference, though. The article offers no evidence that it happens.
Mimi
Fair. What it does give is the framework: the Enhanced Partnership launched July 24, with a commitment to exchanges and university links.
Mark
And the numbers?
Mimi
364 Filipinos got Erasmus Mundus scholarships between 2021 and 2025, and 85 were accepted into Erasmus+ in 2026.
Luke
Those two figures count different programs over different periods, so I wouldn't read them as a trend. We also don't know how many applied, or what any of this costs a student.
Mark
Anything else we can't tell yet?
Luke
Turnout, and whether the fair leads to more enrolments. Nothing in the reporting speaks to that.
Mimi
The dates are set, though: in person November 20 and 21, online November 23 to 25.
O Pulso
- Thirteen EU countries are lining up at one fair, competing for the attention of Filipino students weighing where to spend their futures.
- The fair follows a newly launched partnership that commits both sides to student and staff exchanges, giving the event a sense of momentum.
- Organizers are pressing forward with a two-part schedule, in-person at Robinsons Manila and online over the following days, so that no applicant is left out.
- Scholarship numbers already show the pull: 364 Filipinos funded through Erasmus Mundus from 2021 to 2025, with 85 more accepted in 2026.
Thirteen member states of the European Union have stepped forward together in Manila, offering Filipino students a window onto what European campuses can give them. The occasion is the coming European Higher Education Fair 2026, where more than seventy universities and partner institutions will gather to make the case for study abroad. It arrives on the heels of the new EU–Philippines Enhanced Partnership, which promises more movement of students and teachers between the two sides. Such exchanges have long been understood as more than a path to a diploma; they are a way of building understanding that can outlast the years of study itself.
In Manila, representatives from thirteen European Union member states stood together to present what their countries offer students who want to study abroad. Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden are all taking part in the lead-up to the European Higher Education Fair 2026, which will bring together more than seventy universities, embassies and education partners.
Agata Nowicka, deputy head of mission of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, opened the event by describing study abroad as something larger than a degree. Students who learn in another country, she said, come back with new ideas, a sense of other cultures, and an understanding that can strengthen ties between nations long after graduation.
The fair follows the EU–Philippines Enhanced Partnership, launched on July 24, which commits to student and staff exchanges and closer links between universities. The cooperation already has results: 364 Filipinos received Erasmus Mundus scholarships for joint master's programs between 2021 and 2025, and 85 more were accepted into Erasmus+ in 2026.
Under the theme "EU: Pathways to Excellence. Building the Future," the fair will run at the Midtown Atrium of Robinsons Manila on November 20 and 21, with online sessions from November 23 to 25, so prospective students can attend in person or from home.
Representatives from 13 European Union member states stood together at a press conference in Manila to lay out what their countries offer students who want to study abroad. The occasion was the lead-up to the European Higher Education Fair 2026, known as EHEF, which will bring together more than 70 universities, embassies and education partners.
The thirteen countries taking part are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Agata Nowicka, deputy head of mission of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, gave the opening remarks. She framed study abroad as more than a route to a degree. In her words, students who learn in another country gain more than academic knowledge: they meet new ideas, experience different cultures, and develop an understanding that can strengthen cooperation long after their studies have ended.
The fair arrives against a recent diplomatic backdrop. The new EU–Philippines Enhanced Partnership was launched on July 24, and it builds on education cooperation already in place. It includes a commitment to student and staff exchanges and to closer links between European and Philippine universities.
There are numbers to show how that cooperation has worked so far. Between 2021 and 2025, 364 Filipinos received Erasmus Mundus scholarships to pursue joint master's programs at European universities. In 2026, another 85 Filipino students were accepted into the Erasmus+ program.
The fair runs under the theme "EU: Pathways to Excellence. Building the Future." It will be held at the Midtown Atrium of Robinsons Manila on November 20 and 21, followed by online sessions on November 23 to 25. Prospective students can attend in person for the first two days or join remotely for the three that follow.
Citações Notáveis
When students learn in another country, they gain more than academic knowledge; they develop an understanding that can strengthen cooperation long after their studies have ended.— Agata Nowicka, deputy head of Mission, EU Delegation to the Philippines
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em The Manila Times ↗
General News