17/06/2026
๐โจ Building bridges, celebrating friendships, and shaping the future together. โจ๐
Yesterday, we closed our first ever , with a culminating event at the University of Santo Tomas where we brought together academic leaders, students, alumni, and partners ๐ for a meaningful afternoon of exchange and inspiration.
From insightful discussions on BelgiumโPhilippines ๐ง๐ช๐ต๐ญ academic cooperation, to presentations on health equity initiatives, scholarship opportunities, and heartfelt testimonies from alumni who have thrived through this partnership.
We thank UST and its UST-College of Rehabilitation Sciences UST Office of Public Affairs for having organized this lecture and such a warm welcome to Belgian Ambassador Vladislava Iordanova in her first ever visit at the University.
To make the event more memorable, we delighted our student attendees with a special surprise appearance by Smurfette, bringing a touch of Belgian charm, joy, and nostalgia ๐
Truly, Belgian academic cooperation in the Philippines is not only historicalโit is active, expanding, and deeply embedded in institutions such as UST to empower communities locally.
โMultilateralism and cooperation are in the Belgian DNA. We believe that alone we go faster but together, we go fartherโ, Ambassador Iordanova said as she closed her keynote address.
We look ahead with renewed commitmentโcontinuing to build bridges for a better tomorrow through cooperation, innovation, and friendship. ๐ง๐ช๐ต๐ญ
This was another success for Team BE and the Philippine Association of Belgian University Scholars ๐