MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino student recently made waves on the internet after completing his master's degree in Europe with summa cum laude honors.
Filipino scholar Kent Tangcalagan studied his Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) in Comparative Local Development at three different European universities, namely, Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary), University of Regensburg (Germany) and University of Trento (Italy).
Thanks to the special degree program, he was able to enjoy a chance at studying in these three universities within his 2-year education in Europe.
Tangcalagan also had the opportunity to do his internship at a research institution called Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Germany. As he graduates with summa cum laude, Tangcalagan expressed happiness that he was able to surpass his goals; he dedicated his success to his late parents, both of him passed away last year.
“My goal was to make the best out of the scholarship. As a scholar, I feel I was very privileged and honored to be studying in Europe. I am not spending any money, it’s the European taxpayers’ money that I was using for my education so I felt like I have the responsibility to make the best out of the education and scholarship that I am getting,” Tangcalagan explained.
“Also I wanted to make my family and friends back home proud and even my colleagues at work since I left the Philippines for this education so at least by the end of the program there is something — this is what I did.”
As he thanked his family and mentors in his post, he dedicated his achievements to his late parents, Peddie and Lydia Tangcalagan who passed away last year while he was in the middle of his studies in Germany and Italy. He also thanked the people who helped him through one of the most difficult years in his life.
Getting full scholarship
It was in May 2017 that Tangcalagan was accepted under the Erasmus Joint Masters Degree in Comparative Local Development. This special two-year program allows him to study in one university in a European Union (EU) country every semester.
The scholarship covers full tuition fees, yearly travel allowance, establishment allowance to help scholars in their adjustment period in a foreign land, plus a monthly contribution cost that pays for accommodation.
So, this young man was able to study for free at the Corvinus University of Budapest in Hungary for his first semester, the University of Regensberg in Germany for his second semester, and the University of Trento in Italy for his third semester.
A brilliant young student, Tangcalagan has always been an achiever who managed to qualify in scholarships to help advance his education.
As a scholar, he completed his undergraduate degree in nursing at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJR) in Cebu City as cum laude in 2011. Then, he would receive scholarship from De La Salle University to complete his first master’s degree in health social science back in 2013.
He worked as nurse at the Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu and later as Gender Research Associate at the Social Development Research Center at De La Salle University before he grabbed the opportunity to study in Europe when he qualified for the scholarship in 2017.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Filipino scholar Kent Tangcalagan studied his Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) in Comparative Local Development at three different European universities, namely, Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary), University of Regensburg (Germany) and University of Trento (Italy).
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| Photo credit: Kent Tangcalagan / Facebook |
Thanks to the special degree program, he was able to enjoy a chance at studying in these three universities within his 2-year education in Europe.
Tangcalagan also had the opportunity to do his internship at a research institution called Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Germany. As he graduates with summa cum laude, Tangcalagan expressed happiness that he was able to surpass his goals; he dedicated his success to his late parents, both of him passed away last year.
“My goal was to make the best out of the scholarship. As a scholar, I feel I was very privileged and honored to be studying in Europe. I am not spending any money, it’s the European taxpayers’ money that I was using for my education so I felt like I have the responsibility to make the best out of the education and scholarship that I am getting,” Tangcalagan explained.
“Also I wanted to make my family and friends back home proud and even my colleagues at work since I left the Philippines for this education so at least by the end of the program there is something — this is what I did.”
 |
| Photo credit: Kent Tangcalagan / Facebook |
As he thanked his family and mentors in his post, he dedicated his achievements to his late parents, Peddie and Lydia Tangcalagan who passed away last year while he was in the middle of his studies in Germany and Italy. He also thanked the people who helped him through one of the most difficult years in his life.
Getting full scholarship
It was in May 2017 that Tangcalagan was accepted under the Erasmus Joint Masters Degree in Comparative Local Development. This special two-year program allows him to study in one university in a European Union (EU) country every semester.
The scholarship covers full tuition fees, yearly travel allowance, establishment allowance to help scholars in their adjustment period in a foreign land, plus a monthly contribution cost that pays for accommodation.
So, this young man was able to study for free at the Corvinus University of Budapest in Hungary for his first semester, the University of Regensberg in Germany for his second semester, and the University of Trento in Italy for his third semester.
 |
| Photo credit: Kent Tangcalagan / Facebook |
A brilliant young student, Tangcalagan has always been an achiever who managed to qualify in scholarships to help advance his education.
As a scholar, he completed his undergraduate degree in nursing at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJR) in Cebu City as cum laude in 2011. Then, he would receive scholarship from De La Salle University to complete his first master’s degree in health social science back in 2013.
He worked as nurse at the Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu and later as Gender Research Associate at the Social Development Research Center at De La Salle University before he grabbed the opportunity to study in Europe when he qualified for the scholarship in 2017.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
