Becoming one of the few certified transnational nursing education providers in the Philippines.
Last June 10, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing marked a new achievement when it was formally conferred the Certificate of Authority by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the institution’s transnational nursing program.
The move, according to the college, underscores the “global readiness of FEU’s nursing program,” with the university having adapted the intensive nursing program to fit the Bruneian educational framework through Brunei Darussalam’s JPMC College of Health Sciences (JCHS).
All, while continuing to uphold the standards set by CHED through Republic Act No. 11448 or the Transnational Higher Education Act.
FEU established the JCHS as a joint venture with Jerudong Park Medical Centre, and is Brunei’s first private health science educational institution having opened its first school term in 2022.
Its main goal is to provide Bruneians and aspiring health practitioners from neighboring countries a competency-based nursing education that complies with standards set by key institutions in both the Philippines and Brunei.
This enabled FEU to share its academic strengths and transform it into new healthcare contexts, helping guide aspiring nurses to become responsive to diverse and evolving global health needs.
The branch campus has a one-year Foundation in Science Certificate Program, which introduces general education and relevant biological, chemical, and life sciences courses to prepare students for the nursing program.
Alongside that is the three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which then blends concepts and applications into related learning experiences thoughtfully adapted from FEU’s nursing curriculum.
The institute is also hosting its inaugural convocation ceremony for its first batch of nursing graduates this July.
“This milestone is a strong validation of the quality and global competitiveness of FEU’s nursing education,” said Moira Uy, FEU Dean of Nursing.
She added, “Ultimately, it reflects FEU’s ability to produce nurses who are globally competent, adaptable, and ready to meet the evolving demands of healthcare systems beyond our borders.”
Uy stressed that establishing JCHS would not have been possible without the strong support of CHED and FEU’s partners in Brunei.
“Throughout the process, CHED provided clear standards and oversight that ensured our program remained aligned with Philippine higher education benchmarks, even as we adapted to an international context,” she said.
FEU noted that it envisions JCHS to eventually become independent and self-sufficient while still upholding the standards the branch campus gained from the Manila-based institution and without compromising educational quality.
In line with this, FEU aims to expand JCHS’s offerings, strengthen its research and clinical partnerships, and continue fostering innovation in education.
“In many ways, this initiative reminds us that our work is not just about expanding programs, but about building capacity and transforming lives. As we support the development of a strong healthcare workforce in Brunei, we also carry forward the values, excellence, and best practices that define FEU,” Uy furthered.