LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Sixty-seven students from different universities within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASESAN) have arrived in the province for the 28-day practice teaching and internship program in the campuses of the Pangasinan State University (PSU).
PSU Director for International Affairs Sally Jarin said the 67 visitors are Education students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Jarin said the students are here for a 28-day practice teaching and internship program under the SEA (Southeast Asian) Teacher Project.
“This is under the exchange student program. We are under the linkages of the Southeast Asian Ministry of Education,” she said in an interview Monday.
The foreign students would be assigned to the PSU campuses in Bayambang, Urdaneta City, Lingayen, San Carlos City, and Sta. Maria, Jarin said.
She disclosed that the foreign students arrived in the country on Sunday and started their initial familiarity tour on Monday, through a visit to the Provincial Capitol, where they were received by the Governor’s Office, represented by Provincial Administrator Nimrod Camba, Executive Assistant Ramon Morden, and Provincial Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario, who is chairperson of Pangasinan’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Education.
Jarin said some of the students presented to the provincial officials souvenirs from their respective universities.
“Afterwards, they sat down and observed the proceedings at the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan presided by Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Jr.,” Jarin said.
She noted that it is PSU’s second time to assist foreign students for the SEA Polytechnic Networking, the entire internship program, and their third time for the SEA Teacher Program, which started in 2017.
Under the same program, PSU also sends selected Education students to counterpart ASEAN universities.
“We received good feedback about our students, among which is that they are advanced in speaking English compared with Indonesian, Malaysians, Thais, and Vietnamese students. Our students are performing very well. Some of them are already employed in other countries,” Jarin said.
Aside from the education and cultural exposure in the province, Jarin said the foreign students will also have the chance to visit famous tourist spots in Pangasinan like the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City. (Liwayway Yparraguirre/PNA)
