From 17 to 19 April 2016, the University of the Philippines will showcase the outputs of its top scientists and artists in the areas of food production, health, climate change, energy, technology, education and more.
Billed UP Knowledge Festival: Utak at Puso para sa Bayan, the three-day event will be held at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City as part of the University’s efforts to increase scientific literacy and artistic awareness in the country.
“We want people to see that what UP has been doing inside the laboratories, in field researches and creative works are timely, relevant and beneficial to the community and the nation,” explains Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela P. Concepcion.
The three-day festival will comprise a number of activities. One will be an exhibit of cutting-edge research and innovations developed within the six clusters of the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Program: (1) agri/aquaculture, food and nutrition, (2) health and wellness, (3) disaster risk management and climate change, (4) energy, environment and ecotourism, (5) technology, new materials and other products, and (6) progressive teaching and learning, which will be shared for the first time with state universities and colleges, government agencies, industry partners and the media.
“UP must serve as an academic hub with special emphasis on multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary frameworks that can serve as a catalyst for development,” asserts UP President Alfredo E. Pascual. An educated populace with knowledge capital (also called suprastructure) can bring about innovative approaches that will address the problems of society. This in turn can spur sustainable and inclusive economic growth on a par with our dynamic ASEAN neighbors.
Moreover, there will be plenary sessions where renowned resource speakers will discuss topics such as Why Arts Should Matter (Dr. Butch Dalisay), Hazard Vulnerabilities of the Public School System: Communicating Data & Science (Dr. Clarissa David), Commercialization of Technology (Dr. Al Serafica), Building Knowledge Cities (Atty. Arnel Casanova), and Health Emergency Planning for Yolanda-affected LGUs: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Dr. Philip Padilla).
Finally, UP President Pascual will chair a roundtable on the role of higher level education for the creation and dissemination of knowledge and innovation. Since the topic of education was overlooked during the last presidential debate, the roundtable promises to be an incisive and engaging discussion with Drs. Edna Co and Butch Dalisay, Roby Alampay, Lourd De Veyra, Joselito Yabut, and Professors Emeriti Randy David and Ernesto Pernia.
