Xavier University participated in the triennial East Asian Seas Congress held in Da Nang City, Vietnam.
[RSO Vice President Dr Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit receives XU's certificate of membership as an inaugural member of the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers. Supplied photo.]
By Nadine Arabelle L Vivares
The East Asian Seas Congress (EAS), started by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) in 2003, is an intellectual marketplace and ocean-based forum for knowledge sharing, collaborative action and partnership building to advance commitment and cooperation in achieving a sustainable East Asia Seas.
XU Vice President for Research and Social Outreach and distinguished marine biologist Dr Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit served as one of the panelists for the session on “Plenary: Application of Ecosystem Services Assessment, Valuation and Coastal Use Zoning: Scaling up Tools and Methodologies.”
In 2008, Xavier University signed an agreement with PEMSEA establishing XU as a PEMSEA Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Learning Center for Mindanao. ICM Learning Centers are platforms for collaboration on ICM program development and implementation at the local level. ICM Learning Centers across the region provide technical assistance to various stakeholders and support capacity-building activities and other local ICM initiatives. The partnership aims to broaden and increase the number of local practitioners of ICM.
At the PEMSEA Partnership Night, Xavier University, along with four other institutions, was recognized as an inaugural member of the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC), a network of well recognized professionals, scientific experts, and institutions who collaborate and share their experiences in ICM.
The 2015 EAS Congress carried the theme “Global Targets - Local Benefits: Setting the Sustainable Development Agenda for the Seas of East Asia beyond 2015.”It featured the Fifth Ministerial Forum, the International Conference on Sustainable Ocean and Coastal Development, the Fourth EAS Youth Forum, the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG), an environmental exhibition and many other special events.