Elaine Carie A. Andres, News, Extension Management Cluster Coordinator 7
The Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, Planning, and Development (OVPREPD) together with the Extension Management Office (EMO), Research Management Office, Research Institutes, and Research Centers launched and conducted the first Research and Extension Summit (R&E Summit 2023) on June 21-23, 2023 at Bulwagang Balagtas. The three-day summit underscored the theme “PUP as National Polytechnic University: Strengthening the Culture of Research Towards Sustainable Extension program.”
R&E Summit provided a venue to discuss all the challenges experienced in research and extension, find solutions to identified challenges, and craft a research and extension roadmap and strategy for the university. With these objectives, the Summit initiated conversations and engaged Deans, Associate Deans/Assistant Directors, Program Chairs, Senior Faculty Members/Academic Researchers from different colleges, branches and campuses.
Among the resource speakers invited were Dr. Shermon O. Cruz, Chair, Association of Professional Futurists; Dr. Geraldo S. Petilla, a Chief Administrative Officer at the National Research Council of the Philippines; and, Mr. Carlo P. Fernando, a Higher Education Lead of Education Development Center.
The future of research for academics On the first day of the summit, Dr. Shermon O. Cruz, the first resource speaker, discussed the future of research and what it would look like after a decade. He even raised some questions to engage with the participants that led to another discussion regarding Funding and Technology Innovation like external funding opportunities and collaboration with foreign countries. He also added the matter regarding having highly specialized individuals with knowledge and skills in performing modern lab equipment and experiments.
Dr. Cruz synthesized his presentation by emphasizing that the future of research is all about future thinking of deliberate application of technology. Equally, he discussed how these should be integrated with other disciplines such as education, engineering, sciences, mathematics, the humanities, and language.
“Through research, we should be able to identify the future and use it to achieve our aim of becoming a highly intensive research university and a premiere national university as a whole,” Dr. Cruz quipped.
Transforming PUP into a reliable research insitution Dr. Geraldo S. Petilla, the second resource speaker, presented how to transform the university into a highly intensive research institution.
“Professionals in the academy should commit themselves to, not just simple research, but intensive research outputs. These studies should deliver substantial changes that will lead us in another direction. The same goes for not just being a passive researcher but also actively contributing to the academic research repository with passion and vigor. Research should change people’s mindset and behavior; it should move people and be an influence in your community and country, ” Dr. Petilla explained.
He then shared strategies towards being an intensive research university (IRU):
Extension in higher education institutions Mr. Carlo P. Fernando, the third resource speaker, showed his presentation titled, “State of the Philippine Higher Education Extension Program: Challenges, Priorities, and Opportunities” where he said that their office was tasked with engaging different colleges to help with reaching out-of-school youth.
For Mr. Fernando, higher education may be seen from different perspectives by different people. Such differences may contribute to some challenges faced by Philippine HEIs, specifically their extension programs. He discussed how higher education institutions are challenged to deepen their collaborations with other research institutes, universities, and institutions.
“I believe that faculty extensionists should teach students how to better lend a hand on community extension programs so that they can be equipped with essential skills through community work and immersion,” Mr. Fernando concluded.
Accomplishment reports and action points Meanwhile, the directors along with the chiefs of each unit under the OVPREPD presented their accomplishments such as implemented projects and programs organized by their unit. Furthermore, they even talked over all the services that they can offer and enlightened the participants in the processes of any specific service or request.
One of the highlights of the three-day summit was the presentation of Dr. Jackie D. Urrutia, Director of the Research Management Office (RMO), regarding the Research and Extension Roadmap. He discussed the achievements and goals of university publication from 2016-2022. It showed that based on Scopus data, there were a total of 298 publications that were published during the said timeframe. The data also showed the highest number with a total of 83 produced publications in the year 2021. On the other hand, the number of research publications on the same year was 74, where year 2022 recorded the highest number with 18 research publications.
This was followed by the signing of commitment to a 10-year research and extension roadmap participated by the university president, vice presidents, deans, directors, chiefs, and officials from different colleges, branches, and campuses who attended the Research and Extension Summit.
President Dr. Manuel M. Muhi delivered the summit’s closing remarks. He mentioned that he could see all the sector’s hardships in conducting and implementing their research and extension programs are delivering substantial changes to the university and community. He was hoping that as the 10-year roadmap starts next year, it can target the goals that were laid out. He emphasized that as we talk about roads, we all know that there will be hindrances and obstacles along the way.
President Muhi, the University President, on behalf of the Executive Committee, promised their full commitment to support these goals that we are all targeting to achieve in the future. As the deans, directors, and chiefs signed the covenant of commitment, Dr. Muhi reiterated that as the 3-day summit ended, this should be paired with everybody’s dedication and willingness to put their efforts in line.
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