DEFINING STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES, SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD A RESPONSIVE PROGRAM: A VIRTUAL SESSION WITH THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

The different R&D Center Directors and Heads of CLSU presented their recent activities specifically, the research results, technology transfer initiatives, and commercialization efforts in a virtual session dubbed as ‘Defining Strengths and Challenges: Seizing Opportunities to Build a Responsive Program’ on September 23, 2021, likewise, the Center’s challenges and plans in the future. This is an initiative of the Office of the University President with the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs as host. During the program, Dr. Edgar A. Orden, University President shared that the virtual session was intended to deliberately evaluate and assess the activities of the different Centers. He also emphasized the need to cascade mature technologies to the communities and to make these technologies applicable for the industries. The Directors and Heads of the different R&D Centers who presented were Dr. Gella Abella of the Institute for Climate Change and Environmental Management, Dr. Sofronio Kalaw of the Center for Tropical Mushroom Research and Development, Dr. Jonathan Galindez of the Ramon Magsaysay – Center for Agricultural Resources and Environment Studies, Mr. Neal del Rosario of the Small Ruminant Center, Dr. Marvin Cinense of the Phil-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology and the Center for Renewable Energy and Technology, Dr. Maria Excelsis Orden of the University Research Center, Dr. Jerwin Undan of the Biotechnology and Analytical Laboratory, Prof. Maria Corazon Vera Cruz of the University Extension Center, Dr. Armando Espino Jr. of the Land and Water Resources Management Center, and Dr. Emmanuel Vera Cruz of the Freshwater and Aquaculture Center. One of the common challenges that the different Centers are currently experiencing is the restrictions in R&D implementation due to pandemic likewise, the delays in the procurement process. As such, President Orden gave an assurance that this matter is being addressed as he recognize the need to continuously pushed through with R&D activities despite the pandemic. Another was the lack of a successor of some Centers thus, they were encouraged by Dr. Renato Reyes, Vice President for Academic Affairs, to train and mentor as early as now the young budding faculty researchers who have the potentials to succeed. On the other hand, President Orden also shared that Congresswoman Micaela S. Violago recently filed house bill number 9635 designating CLSU as a Research and Development Regional Zone. Under this bill, four centers will be established which will benefit a sustainable and stable financial funding, particularly “the Regional Center for the Advancement of Mushroom Research and Development, the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Resource Center, the Regional Center for Nanotechnology in Agri-fishery, and the Regional Institute for Climate Change and Environmental Management,” he added. He concluded the day challenging all the R&D Center Directors and Heads to continue providing solutions and answers to the social, economic, and agricultural problems and to be more proactive in realizing the CLSU vision of becoming a national research University. Joining also the virtual session were Dr. Rhoda Dela Rosa and Dr. Jayson Marzan from the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mr. Ryan Esteban, Chief of the Planning Division Office, Asst. Prof. Maria Adrielle Estigoy, Chief of the Strategic Communication Office, and the faculty and staff from the different R&D Centers.