MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Edukasyon.ph unveiled the second half of Wanderfest 2018, a bi-annual free international educational fair for students, in both Luzon and Visayas, on November 9 and 11.
The two-day educational fair started off at Glorietta 2’s Activity Center in Makati City, while the second day of the event took place at Ayala Center in Cebu City.
First launched in 2017, Wanderfest has become an avenue for participants to learn more about the educational opportunities they can pursue abroad, such as schools, courses, and scholarship opportunities.
More than 20 schools have partnered with Edukasyon.ph as exhibitors for the event, including Reedley International School, Waseda University, Murdoch University, and Southville International School and Colleges. Each of these schools offer a wide variety of programs, especially for Filipino senior high school students, undergraduates, and degree holders.
“We are eager to open up to Filipino students,” said Yuta Araki from Waseda University, “especially in the school of international liberal studies and the school of social sciences.”
“We welcome Filipino students,” said Dr. David Santandreu Colange, dean of Canadian University Dubai. “We welcome, actually, students from all around the world.”
On studying abroad
Aside from showcasing international schools, Wanderfest also featured three speakers: April Ong Vaño, founder of Collabox GXP, a gift curation business; Angela Navoa-Concepcion, Licensed Professional Teacher from Hopkins International Partners, Inc.; and Alex Ward, Partnerships Manager of the Hinrich Foundation.
Vaño, who was active in exchange programs during her youth, discussed the importance of global exchange in current times and how studying abroad can enrich people’s lives, especially in a digital age where educational opportunities can easily be accessed at one’s fingertips.
“It’s a really amazing thing to discover how much you can actually become more understanding towards different cultures,” she explained. “You get to learn more about the histories […] the backgrounds and the context of why people are the way they are.”
Navoa-Concepcion also noted the numerous important exams one needs to take before studying abroad. This includes the importance of English proficiency exam scores for anyone who wishes to study abroad, which she stressed are important when applying for college applications and businesses abroad.
“[One’s English proficiency] can’t be a matter of opinion,” explained Navoa-Concepcion. “It has to be specific, it has to be objective, it has to be a formal assessment.”
“If you’re good in English,” she added, “then you gotta be able to present any of these English test scores. So that can be in the form of IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication), or TOEFL (The Test of English As a Foreign Language) […] you have to have a formal assessment of your language skills.”
Lastly, Ward, whose organization is responsible for the development and strengthening of corporate partnerships across seven Asian economies under the Asia for the Hinrich Global Trade Leader Development Program, also emphasized how one can maximize college degrees while studying abroad, particularly when it comes to looking for professional development opportunities.
“Engage the people in the professional industry in addition to what you’re doing as an academic,” he advised. “Putting yourself out there in the business climate while you’re studying abroad is a very important aspect.”
Opening more opportunities for students
Student participants in the fair also graced the event to check out the international schools that were offered to the public.
Lee Matthew Teope, a senior high school student who is currently taking up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), found himself rethinking his options after listening to the speakers.
“Listening to colleges that […] offer many programs and scholarships really [opened] up my options,” he said.
Likewise, Symon G. Dela Cruz, a Grade 10 student from St. Mary’s Academy, Pasay City, expressed how informative the fair was, particularly the schools that offered educational opportunities for them.
“It feels like a great opportunity,” he said, “because at this young age, even though we still have two more years to prepare for college, at least we now know what [offers] we can avail outside the Philippines.”
Aside from senior high school students, graduates also took the chance to explore the fair for post-graduate or masteral degrees.
“There’s a lot of choices,” said Chin Tililan, a college graduate. “A lot of universities. And [the programs] as well, where […] they actually explain why you should study abroad.”
“Wanderfest is really amazing, actually,” she added. “There’s a lot of choices here, especially the universities, and it’s quite good.”
Jollibee, Havaianas and GetGo Everyday also sponsored the two-day educational fair.
About Edukasyon.ph
Edukasyon.ph is the number 1 EdTech startup in the Philippines that helps senior high school and college students make better-informed decisions through a one-stop platform offering education options and advice.
It connects Filipino students to opportunities locally and abroad by providing a comprehensive online database of schools, scholarships, courses, and study abroad programs. On the Edukasyon.ph website, students can search and apply for more than 13,000 schools here and abroad, more than 20,000 tracks and courses, and 4,000 scholarships from foundations, private institutions, and government agencies. To date, Edukasyon has generated one million monthly unique visits, and 65,000 student inquiries and applications.
Moreover, Edukasyon.ph helps students navigate their life through timely and relevant content about student life, scholarships, and careers. For more information, visit www.edukasyon.ph and https://blog.edukasyon.ph/
On studying abroad
Aside from showcasing international schools, Wanderfest also featured three speakers: April Ong Vaño, founder of Collabox GXP, a gift curation business; Angela Navoa-Concepcion, Licensed Professional Teacher from Hopkins International Partners, Inc.; and Alex Ward, Partnerships Manager of the Hinrich Foundation.
Vaño, who was active in exchange programs during her youth, discussed the importance of global exchange in current times and how studying abroad can enrich people’s lives, especially in a digital age where educational opportunities can easily be accessed at one’s fingertips.
“It’s a really amazing thing to discover how much you can actually become more understanding towards different cultures,” she explained. “You get to learn more about the histories […] the backgrounds and the context of why people are the way they are.”
Navoa-Concepcion also noted the numerous important exams one needs to take before studying abroad. This includes the importance of English proficiency exam scores for anyone who wishes to study abroad, which she stressed are important when applying for college applications and businesses abroad.
“[One’s English proficiency] can’t be a matter of opinion,” explained Navoa-Concepcion. “It has to be specific, it has to be objective, it has to be a formal assessment.”
“If you’re good in English,” she added, “then you gotta be able to present any of these English test scores. So that can be in the form of IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication), or TOEFL (The Test of English As a Foreign Language) […] you have to have a formal assessment of your language skills.”
Lastly, Ward, whose organization is responsible for the development and strengthening of corporate partnerships across seven Asian economies under the Asia for the Hinrich Global Trade Leader Development Program, also emphasized how one can maximize college degrees while studying abroad, particularly when it comes to looking for professional development opportunities.
“Engage the people in the professional industry in addition to what you’re doing as an academic,” he advised. “Putting yourself out there in the business climate while you’re studying abroad is a very important aspect.”
Opening more opportunities for students
Student participants in the fair also graced the event to check out the international schools that were offered to the public.
Lee Matthew Teope, a senior high school student who is currently taking up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), found himself rethinking his options after listening to the speakers.
“Listening to colleges that […] offer many programs and scholarships really [opened] up my options,” he said.
Likewise, Symon G. Dela Cruz, a Grade 10 student from St. Mary’s Academy, Pasay City, expressed how informative the fair was, particularly the schools that offered educational opportunities for them.
“It feels like a great opportunity,” he said, “because at this young age, even though we still have two more years to prepare for college, at least we now know what [offers] we can avail outside the Philippines.”
Aside from senior high school students, graduates also took the chance to explore the fair for post-graduate or masteral degrees.
“There’s a lot of choices,” said Chin Tililan, a college graduate. “A lot of universities. And [the programs] as well, where […] they actually explain why you should study abroad.”
“Wanderfest is really amazing, actually,” she added. “There’s a lot of choices here, especially the universities, and it’s quite good.”
Jollibee, Havaianas and GetGo Everyday also sponsored the two-day educational fair.
