On 14 February 2019, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Service Training Institute (FSTI) of Japan, Mr. Hiroto Hirakoba, met with the Foreign Service Institute’s (FSI) Officer-in-Charge, Ms. Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat to exchange notes of experience in using IT-based platforms in their training programs and research activities.

The meeting served as an avenue for both Institutions to learn from their respective experiences, particularly on how technology can be utilized in advancing their training activities. FSTI exclusively runs training programs, while FSI provides training and research services.

With the advent of new technology, particularly e-Learning, the two Institutes recognize innovation in training and research methodologies as the way forward for Diplomatic Institutes to enable them to cross geographic boundaries and respond to changing characteristics of the learners in the Foreign Service Corps.

Also in attendance during the meeting were Mr. Tsuyoshi Kawahara, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, and Mr. Ken Edward H. Concepcion, Training Specialist of the Carlos P. Romulo School Diplomacy of FSI.