Living La Vida Dabawenya

Saturday, July 5, 2025

First Online Meeting with Thesis Advisees

Quick recap

The meeting began with Jen introducing herself as a faculty member pursuing a PhD in economics and discussing her background, including her previous roles in administration, research, and teaching. She provided guidance on research topics, emphasizing the importance of breaking down tasks, establishing daily habits, and focusing on personal growth. The session concluded with various students presenting their thesis topics and research interests, followed by discussions on behavioral and environmental economics, potential research opportunities, and upcoming conferences.

Next steps

Summary

PhD Candidate's Academic Collaboration Plans

Jen introduced herself as a faculty member on study leave pursuing a PhD in economics with a focus on agriculture and resource economics, having previously studied financial economics and econometrics. She shared her experience at a recent Korea Agriculture Economic Association conference and mentioned potential research collaboration opportunities with her professor, offering to introduce her students to the professor at an upcoming conference in August. Jen also discussed her background, including her education at USeP laboratory school and her current role as a mother of three daughters.

Task Timeline and Personal Growth

Jen discussed the timeline for their tasks, aiming to complete them by the first week of December. She emphasized the importance of breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable ones and establishing daily habits. Jen shared her positive thinking approach and encouraged the team to focus on personal growth and learning from failures. She advised taking feedback professionally and not personally, as it is about the work, not the individual.

Sugarcane Research Guidance Session

Jen shared her professional background, which included roles in administration, research, and teaching, emphasizing her experience in project management and corporate professionalism. She advised students on their research topics, particularly on sugarcane industry issues, suggesting they explore policy implications, productivity challenges, and the impact of environmental factors. Jen recommended checking current data, analyzing production functions, and reviewing historical policies like sugar quotas to identify research gaps and potential solutions.

Research Focus and FDI Insights

Jen discussed the importance of focusing on research and completing a proposal draft by December 2025. She advised reducing time spent on social media and suggested reading journals to enhance knowledge and improve academic performance. Wella presented a topic on foreign direct investment (FDI) and its relation to the happiness index, and Jen provided guidance on investigating current FDI trends, reviewing government policies, and exploring trade agreements.

Research Presentation and Feedback Session

Jen led a research presentation session where students, including Wella, Jessa, and Arabella, shared their thesis topics and research interests. Jessa discussed her focus on OFW remittances, oil price volatility, and its sectoral impacts, while Arabella presented on the relationship between professional attire and job opportunities in financial institutions. Both students received feedback from Jen about the need to establish clear research criteria and methods, particularly regarding the definition of appearance in their studies.

Research Methods and Gig Economy

Jen and Arabela discussed research methods, focusing on the importance of reviewing literature to establish research gaps and justify the study's relevance. They emphasized the need for high-quality, open-access journals and the importance of publishing research to enhance career prospects. Arabela raised questions about alternative topics like the gig economy and trade wars, which Jen found interesting and relevant, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia's service sector. Jen suggested exploring the impact of the gig economy on service providers and customers, and she encouraged Arabela to research further.

Conflict and Investment in Mindanao

Jen and Robert discussed a study on conflict intensity and investments in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. They explored the potential effects of conflict on investments and suggested creating control variables to isolate these effects. Jen advised Robert to check on the Bangsamoro Government's investment plan and current situation regarding official development assistance projects. They also discussed a previous study on ODA in Mindanao and the challenges faced in promoting Islamic finance and microfinancing in the region.

Behavioral and Environmental Economics Research

The meeting focused on research projects in behavioral and environmental economics. Jen discussed behavioral economics, highlighting its challenges to classical economics and its application in studying consumer behavior. Marsha presented her research on the environmental effects of timber production in the Philippines and the factors affecting milling prices for staple crops. Jen suggested exploring the vegetable industry roadmap and recommended checking the Picard Industry Strategic Science and Technology Program for relevant information.

Research and Policy Integration Strategies

Jen discussed the importance of connecting research to policy implications, emphasizing the need to investigate current problems in the Philippines and link them to existing data. She encouraged the researchers to propose new programs, amend current policies, or improve implementation and monitoring. Hannah presented her research interests, focusing on the impact of remittances, transparency in exchange rates, and supply chain management for rice markets. Jen suggested conducting impact assessments using a synthetic control method to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Research Opportunities and Exchange Programs

Jen discussed upcoming research opportunities and conferences with her team. She encouraged them to explore new ideas and discover new things in their research. Jen mentioned potential exchange programs and study abroad opportunities, including the Global Korea Scholar program. She also provided details about a consumer study involving panel data and discussed the possibility of working on insurance-related research projects. Jen advised the team to send their research topics via email and promised to check on some journals for them.

Friday, July 4, 2025

Meeting with Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

Quick recap

The meeting began with introductions and discussions about technical difficulties before moving on to presentations from various universities about their internationalization efforts, academic programs, and potential partnerships. Participants explored collaboration opportunities in areas such as student exchanges, research, COIL programs, and joint degrees, with a focus on establishing concrete activities rather than just signing memorandums. The conversation ended with agreements to share materials, continue discussions about implementing collaborative programs, and work towards formalizing partnerships through MOUs while initiating activities in the meantime.

Next steps

Summary

Meeting Delay and Time Adjustment

The meeting began with greetings and introductions, with participants discussing technical difficulties and delays. Professor Robetmi informed the group that another meeting was ongoing with the Oi team, causing a 30-minute delay, and suggested starting at 2 PM Jakarta time. The participants waited for additional participants from their universities before proceeding with the meeting.

USeP Internationalization and Partnership Initiatives

The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) presented their internationalization efforts and academic programs to potential partners from Indonesia. Dr. Adora Zerrudo and Bobson introduced USeP's history, structure, and various degree programs across multiple campuses. They highlighted their recent achievements, including the publication of the Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development in Scopus. The meeting aimed to explore official institutional and academic partnerships, with plans for collaborative research and academic exchanges.

Internationalization and Collaboration Opportunities

The meeting focused on internationalization programs at the university, including COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), mobility programs, research collaborations, and cultural exposure initiatives. Abdul presented an overview of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), highlighting its 67,000 students, 6 campuses, and various faculties, as well as its recent QS ranking of 624 in the world. The discussion concluded with potential collaboration opportunities, particularly in student exchanges and research, with emphasis on centers of excellence and international undergraduate programs.

International Partnerships and Scholarships Overview

Abdul Undip presented an overview of international partnerships at his university, highlighting existing collaborations with Filipino universities, including the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines Los Banos, as well as partnerships with institutions in Europe, Africa, North America, and Australia/New Zealand. He detailed various scholarship opportunities available for international students, including government and university-sponsored programs, and discussed potential collaboration areas such as student exchange, joint degrees, short courses, research, and internships. The presentation concluded with information about the university's major scientific objectives, particularly in coastal eco-development, and an invitation to explore strategic partnerships.

UNDIP-USP Partnership Planning Meeting

The meeting focused on establishing a partnership between University of Diponegoro (UNDIP) and University of Southern Philippines (USP). Robetmi and Jennifer discussed a proposed exchange program and scholarship, while Abdul emphasized the need to focus on concrete activities rather than just signing memorandums. The group agreed to start with webinars and online collaboration while working on the formal MOU process, which typically takes about a month after legal review. They also discussed the possibility of holding a conference next week where an MOU signing could potentially occur, though this remains uncertain.

University Collaboration on International Programs

The meeting focused on discussing collaboration opportunities between universities, particularly regarding COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) programs and student exchange initiatives. Professor Adora shared that USeP-IAD recently started COIL programs with Vietnamese universities, while Robetmi detailed their department's success with international exchanges and double degree programs, including planned collaborations with universities in Italy, South Korea, Australia, and the Netherlands. The participants agreed to explore establishing COIL courses with the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, with Professor Adora expressing interest in expanding collaborations to other faculties like law and medicine. The conversation ended with an agreement to share presentation materials and continue discussions about implementing these programs, noting that while the MOU is still in process, collaborative activities can begin.