Xavier University is this year’s host of the Philippine Political Science Association’s annual international conference being held from April 12 to 14. The theme for the conference is “Building on the Past, Reflecting on the Present, and Charting Future Directions in Studies on Political Science.”

University President Fr Roberto C Yap SJ welcomed to Xavier the delegates composed mainly of professors of Political Science from universities across the country and from foreign universities such as Sun Yat Sen University and City University of Hong Kong in China, Mahasarakham University in Thailand, University of Guam in the US, University of Tsukuba and Ibaraki University in Japan, Konkuk University in Korea, and the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.

Distinguished Political Science professor and author David Wurfel keynoted the conference.  He talked of the history of political science in the Philippines and the challenges that Filipino political scientists face today.

“It’s very important for Filipinos to have a critical eye on what foreign policies can do,” he said in response to an audience comment on the Philippine-US relations in the light of the perceived decline of the US economy given the financial crisis and the increasing aggressiveness of China.  He also emphasized the importance of merging values with goals to maintain the real essence of political science, which now has become not about politics but more about strategies and statistics.

More on political development and decay will be discussed in the plenary and concurrent sessions throughout the three days with topics on Bangsamoro politics, foreign policy and relations, education and governance, political development and disasters, and political views and attitudes of the youth, among many others including lessons learned in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong.