Rationale

In its mission statement, Xavier University states:

As a University, Xavier engages in the authentic search for the truth through teaching, formation, research and social outreach; it is dedicated to the renewal, discovery, safeguarding, and communication of knowledge and human values; and it trains men and women to think rigorously, so as to act rightly and serve humanity justly.

As a Filipino University, Xavier is devoted to the appreciation, preservation, and enrichment of the Filipino culture and heritage; to the sustainable development of the nation; and to the pursuit of the common good (XU Mission Statement).

In the XU College Faculty Manual, the role of the faculty in research is highlighted: “The faculty members are encouraged to contribute to the cultivation of a research environment….” (XU College Faculty Manual 2008).

All faculty members are encouraged to pursue research according to their respective competencies and expertise and to maintain, at the same time, a balance between teaching, research, and service.

Brief History of the Kinaadman University Research Office

Created in 1979, the Kinaadman then was established by Fr Miguel A Bernad SJ to serve as a vital medium of multidisciplinary studies and views relevant to the social and cultural uplift of Mindanao. With the retirement of Fr Bernad in 2005, the University President Fr Jose Ramon T Villarin, SJ re-established the Kinaadman into the Kinaadman Research Center as the university research center focusing on research management, development, and publication of the KURO-funded researches. KURO was also one of the support units to the Research and Social Outreach (2006-2016) cluster of the university (Appendix A. RSO Organizational Chart). At present, it is now known as the Kinaadman University Research Office (KURO) 

Objectives and Functions

Kinaadman University Research Office (KURO) pursues the attainment of the following:

  1. Strengthen  research environment  that advances  the culture of research by periodic review, modification, and updating of  the following:
    • Research direction and priorities of the University’s Research Concerns
    • Research policies and guidelines
  2. Undertake  Research Capability Building Activities
  3. Enhance  faculty research productivity  and quality through the following:
    • Increase  research participation of  faculty from the different disciplines in the following: IR, MRRA, MR,  and MBHRA
    • increase the number of research outputs for publication in specialized or refereed national or international journals (ISI/Scopus)
    • ensure alignment  of faculty research to the Research Agenda of the University:
      • University’s Development Goals
        • Stronger Formation
        • Greater Societal Engagement (Food Security, Health, Environment, Governance, Peace)
        • Better Administration
      • National Research Thrusts (NHERA 2 and Mindanao 2020)
      • Mindanao 2020
  4. In partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, Xavier University as a Higher Education Regional Research Center  (HERRC) commits to:
    • Undertake R&D activities responsive to the needs of the region in the context of the university’s known field of excellence
    • Undertake Research capability building activities among HEIs in the region
    • Promote and facilitate networking for research
    • Participate in innovation cluster (government-industry-academe) collaborative activities
    • Promote the utilization of research results/outputs (technology transfer and extension)