The Research and Social Outreach (RSO) cluster gathered heads of academic departments and their faculty on April 8 to discuss how the University can pursue greater societal engagement along RSO’s six thematic directions, namely: food, health, environment, education, governance and peace.

Dr Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit, Vice President for RSO stressed that the thematic directions are a work in progress, thus the need to meet and consult with the different departments and units.

The consultation meeting also served to share existing programs implemented by the various college-based RSO and to see whether there have been initiatives conducted by the departments that have not been recognized or integrated into the activities of the cluster.

“The challenge in the last six years is how we can engage the students and faculty,” said Ermin Stan Pimentel, Assistant to the Vice President on Research and Social Outreach.

He emphasized the concept of “Tagbuan” or convergence where the various departments and units can come together and align their research and outreach activities with the thematic areas, and contribute to the realization of the University Development Goals.

College-based RSO offices have been established to help facilitate the process and many activities have been conducted that impact on the priority areas, such as the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices to enhance food productivity, development of sustainable sanitation technologies and researches to reduce water and sanitation-related illnesses, conduct of feeding programs, and implementation of the Ridge-River-Reef Baseline Profiling of the Cagayan Riverbasin for Watershed Management, Governance and Leadership Program, and peacekeeping and peacebuilding initiatives.