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

• All students: Schedule individual 30-minute consultation sessions with Prof. Jen for next week through Google Calendar

• Prof. Jen: Share journal access resources with students via email

• All students: Start reading one journal article per day related to their research topic

• All students: Prepare research progress updates for next individual consultation sessions

• Robert: Research on Bangsamoro Government investment plans and official development assistance projects

• Hannah: Investigate anti-money laundering policies' impact on remittances in the Philippines

• Aira: Research more on sugar cane industry roadmap and check current policies from Sugar Regulatory Administration

• Arabella: Research deeper into gig economy in Southeast Asia, particularly focusing on Grab services

• Marsha: Review current programs and policies in the forestry sector through PICARD industry strategic science technology program

• Jessa Mae: Explore OFW remittances and bank deposit rates data

• Wella: Investigate FBI data at national level and review current trade agreements

• All students: Review FIES data for potential use in research

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.