19 May 2021, Calgary – The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Calgary welcomes the partnership forged by seven Philippine universities, known as Magic 7, and the University of Saskatchewan (USask) through a Memorandum of Understanding they signed on 19 May 2021 (Manila time). The virtual signing ceremony was held during the celebrations of the 27th Anniversary of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the 1st National Higher Education Day in the Philippines.

The members of the Magic 7 are: 1) Benguet State University; 2) Central Luzon State University; 3) Central Mindanao University; 4) Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University; 5) Mariano Marcos State University; 6) Mountain Province State Polytechnic College; and 7) University of Southeastern Philippines.  

Under the MOU, the parties will collaborate on several areas, including in the exchanges and internships for students, faculty, and staff, and in joint research and development projects.

Among those who spoke at the signing ceremony were CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera, Ambassador Peter MacArthur of the Canadian Embassy in Manila, USask’s Dr. Meghna Ramaswamy and Dr. Darcy Marciniuk, and Consul General Zaldy Patron. 

In his congratulatory message, Consul General Patron recalled his meeting with USask President Peter Stoicheff when he visited the university campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on 5 September 2019 to promote education cooperation between the Philippines and USask.  He then invited USask officials to visit the Philippines in January 2020 and coordinated their meetings with several government agencies, including CHED. He said those meetings in Saskatoon and the Philippines opened the doors of partnership and collaboration between USask and the Philippines.