The Ifugao State University (IFSU), through the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA), initiated its first exploratory engagement with the Institut Brittany d’Enseignement Supérieur (IBES) of Paris, France in an introductory meeting aimed at identifying potential areas of academic collaboration and international partnership. The meeting brought together IFSU officials and IBES representative to discuss possible cooperation in research, program delivery, and capacity‑building initiatives that may strengthen the university’s global academic linkages.

Dr. Rhoda De Castro, Deputy Chief Academic Officer of the London Examinations Board and former General Manager of IBES, presented the institution’s international profile, accreditations, and program offerings. She highlighted IBES’ status as a Private Independent Higher Education Institution registered under the French Ministry of Education and its compliance with European quality assurance systems. IBES holds accreditation from the British Accreditation Council (BAC), recognized globally as a gold standard in independent higher education, and is certified under Qualiopi, France’s national quality assurance framework for training and education providers. Dr. De Castro also emphasized IBES’ alignment with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which standardize learning outcomes, credit equivalencies, and qualification levels across Europe, ensuring international comparability and mobility for learners.

The presentation covered IBES’ suite of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs delivered through dual‑award and collaborative arrangements with European partner institutions such as UCAM in Spain and VERN University in Croatia. These include doctorate programs such as the Doctor of Education (EdD) and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), master’s programs including Mastere TESOL, MA Education, and MBA, and bachelor’s programs in education, business administration, computer science, tourism and hospitality management, and fashion design. All programs follow ECTS credit structures and are offered through blended or fully online delivery modes supported by a global network of 144 module leaders and facilitators from Asia, Europe, and North America.

Representing IFSU were Dr. Jennifer Madonna G. Dait, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Desiree Gume G. Nangpuhan, Dean of the College of Education; and Dr. Maribel Tamayo De Guzman of IFSU Potia Campus. The discussion centered on potential cooperation in dissertation and thesis supervision, faculty and student development initiatives, and the possibility of establishing dual‑award pathways for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, with IBES delivering modules via distance learning. The meeting also touched on IBES’ instructional model, which emphasizes reflective and deep learning through blended and online modalities, and its international faculty composition, which includes educators from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Canada, Europe, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

The engagement marks the beginning of exploratory talks between IFSU and IBES France, with both institutions expressing openness to further discussions that may lead to formalized academic partnerships. Through the OVPAA, IFSU continues to pursue international collaborations that enhance academic quality, global mobility, and internationally benchmarked opportunities for its learners, faculty, and staff