The Office of Research and Development, and Extension Services, in collaboration with the Office of Internationalization for Higher Education, conducted a Development Studies Forum with Dr. Brooke Wilmsen at the ORDExS Studio Room, March 10 at 1:00-4:00 in the afternoon.
The key officials of the university, deans, directors, academic unit heads, faculty, and students graced the event.
Dr. Dennis C. de Paz foregrounded the indispensable research culture in the university as the latter is geared towards internationalization. “This opportunity will surely bring positive results to EVSU with the help of our collaborators.” He further posited that this partnership with universities abroad would increase the visibility of the university in terms of research and academic endeavor.
Dr. Analyn C. Españo, Vice President for Research and Development and Extension Services, elucidated the rationale of the so-called Development Studies Forum as it was envisioned to be a series of research colloquia in the future. She narrated that the forum aimed to strengthen the partnership with La Trobe University, orchestrate research endeavors as an offshoot of research projects, and open the door and explore opportunities for further engagement.
Dr. Brooke Wilmsen is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Australia. Her research interests boil down to climate change, the micropolitics of climate, and displacement.
She presented a study on Micropolitics of Climate-related planned relocation in Maldives: A Case for multiple im/mobility pathways. She further explored maladaptation which is an essential component in climate change studies. She scholarly quoted that the term refers to an intervention in one location or sector that could increase the vulnerability of another site or sector or increase the exposure of the target group to future climate change.
As a climate change advocate, she has chosen Maldives as the locale of the study since the country is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change peril. In addition, since the country was affected by the typhoon onslaught, the government considered relocation among its citizens to alleviate casualties and assuage further devastation.
The study sparked interest among the environmental sciences students of the university as they raised questions related to climate change which can be akin to their field of expertise. Exposed to vulnerabilities and menace brought by climate change, the Philippines can learn from the case of Maldives as the researcher saw similarities concerning climate acclimatization.
Prof. Faustito Aure, Director for Internationalization for Higher Education, ascertained that the Internationalization Office of the University is currently collaborating on a research project with other universities, including Australia. “We will continue to expand our network,” Prof. Aure asserted. He said the university is willing to initiate a vibrant partnership with foreign universities and organizations in conducting climate-related studies. The collaboration with Dr. Wilmsen was made possible by Prof. Ginbert Cuaton, a visiting researcher and a Ph.D. candidate at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
