THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has partnered with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to strengthen education opportunities for Filipinos living and working abroad. ​In a signing ceremony on March 4, CHED Chairman Shirley Agrupis and CFO Chairman Dante Ang II signed a memorandum of understanding to bridge the gap between international migration and academic excellence. ​The partnership aims to ensure that Filipino students and young professionals are better guided, protected and integrated into the global workforce. ​Under the agreement, the CFO will share key migration and demographic data with CHED to help guide the development of responsive higher education policies. ​The initiative, CHED said, will support Filipino students participating in international exchange and internship programs while facilitating smoother academic pathways for graduates of Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs) who wish to pursue higher education in the Philippines. ​It also aims to bring international expertise back to Philippine shores through joint learning sessions or research collaboration via the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas network. ​CHED said these global Filipino leaders will serve as mentors or researchers to share their world-class experiences with students and faculty of Philippine universities and colleges. ​The collaboration also includes the conduct of joint research on migration and development, strengthening awareness campaigns to promote safe participation in overseas academic and internship programs, and enhancing coordination with higher education institutions for smoother academic pathways for returning students. ​Agrupis said overseas Filipinos remain an integral part of the community and a vital source of knowledge, innovation and expertise. ​”By strengthening connections between our higher education institutions and Filipino communities abroad, we ensure that global experience contributes directly to national development,” Agrupis added. ​Ang said the CFO reaffirms its commitment to cultivating the talents of overseas Filipinos and providing platforms that encourage not just diaspora altruism, but also further engagement with their homeland. ​As the secretariat to the Inter-Agency Commission on PSOs, he added that the CFO will also ensure the ease of integration for overseas Filipino youth into local Philippine higher educational standards and requirements upon their return through the continued provision of the Philippine curriculum overseas.