THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) has partnered with one of Hungary’s prestigious Catholic universities to boost academic and resource exchange.
In a story posted on its Facebook page, the Philippine Embassy in Hungary announced that UST and Pázmány Péter Catholic University (PPKE) had signed a memorandum of understanding that would enhance their “shared academic heritage and purpose.”
“Founded centuries apart, yet shaped by similar intellectual traditions, UST and PPKE share a commitment to faith-informed scholarship, humanistic education, and public engagement,” the embassy’s post read.
“The new agreement opens pathways for exchange of academic and administrative staff; cooperation in research; exchange of academic material, publications and other scientific information; and organization of joint academic and scientific activities,” it added.
Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty, also a UST faculty member and alumnus, introduced the Dominican-run institution as “one of the leading private research universities in the Philippines.”
Gepty teaches at the UST Graduate School of Law. He graduated from the University with a Master of Laws degree in 2016.
During the signing, Gepty also gave a lecture about the Philippines’ free trade agreement policy, which the embassy described as “underpinned by a rules-based system,” open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory.
“The Philippines helps strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system by expanding its free trade agreements (FTAs) with various countries and by joining multilateral FTAs, all consistent and complementary with WTO (World Trade Organization) rules,” the embassy’s Facebook post said.
In the same story, Philippine ambassador to Hungary Maria Elena Algabre was quoted as saying that universities across the world play a role in nurturing an ‘informed, resilient and future-ready’ society despite the constantly changing technological, economic and geopolitical landscape.
PPKE Dean László Komáromi expressed optimism about the prospects of the partnership and encouraged the students, faculty, research and administrative staff of the two schools to collaborate.
Ambassador of Hungary to the Philippines Titanila Tóth, an alumnus of PPKE, noted that a just and compassionate society that upholds truth, equality, justice and the rule of law is achieved through education.
Founded in 1635, the Pázmány Peter Catholic University is run by the Church and Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. It was approved by the Congregation of the Catholic Education of the Apostolic Holy See in 1999 and accredited by the Hungarian government in 1993.
UST was founded in 1611, making it the oldest university in the Philippines and Asia. The Dominican-run institution received its “pontifical” title from Pope Leo XIII in 1902, which placed it under the authority of the Holy See. F
