"We need all kinds of scientists to come together and pool their resources and knowledge to help find answers and solutions to some of the challenges facing our country."
"We need all kinds of scientists to come together and pool their resources and knowledge to help find answers and solutions to some of the challenges facing our country."The Philippine Social Science Council is preparing for the 9th National Social Science Congress (NSSC 9) to be held on Feb. 20-22, 2020 in General Santos City.
PSSC is a private, non-stock, non-profit organization of professional social science associations and social science research and instructional institutions in the Philippines.
NSSC is a signature program of the PSSC that serves as the platform for social scientists to share their latest research, test concepts, theories and ideas, and critically examine issues of social significance.
NSSC 9’s theme is “Resilience in Our Times.” The conference seeks to engage social scientists and other sectors of the society in “discussions about the dimensions of resilience in the face of climate change, imperialist plunder, war and peace, disaster risk reduction, international relations, socio-ecological systems, human development, planning, and communication” among other topics.
The conference will also inquire into “how the social sciences and other sectors of the society respond to and address the issues of resiliency. It will look into the various manners, approaches, and experiences in promoting and pushing for resiliency towards development, equality, and social justice.”
According to PSSC Chairperson Dr. Lourdes Portus, the event’s keynote speaker will be newly retired Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, and the plenary speaker will be Dr. Mahar Lagmay, executive director of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute.
“There are already more than 200 abstracts submitted and six panel sessions from PSSC member organizations,” said Portus.
Member organizations include research bodies, schools, and colleges of universities, among them UP, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, and other universities across the country.
Portus added that there will be a pre-conference activity about journal publication and ethics on Feb. 19, 2020, to be hosted by the Mindanao State University.
Among the paper and panel session topics are: adapting to and minimizing impacts of climate change; response to the energy shortage in Mindanao; understanding security threats; minimizing risks to and supporting recovery of communities; managing complex systems in times of change; and coping and thriving in times of adversity (individual/sectoral/organizational responses to crisis).
Other topics include: escaping the poverty trap; enhancing human well-being; urban and regional planning; communicating resilience (campaigns and advocacies); digital technologies enabling resilience and resilience against disruptive technologies; historicizing, politicizing resilience; resilience of culture/language; resilience as a concept; food security and insecurity; building capacity for strong economy.
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The reason I listed all these topics is to show how the social sciences encompass so many fields of human endeavor. These topics are important to tackle particularly in these uncertain times, what will political turmoil, climate change, and diverse issues affecting so many human lives.
Now, more than ever, despite the asseverations of one senator against research, we need all kinds of scientists to come together and pool their resources and knowledge to help find answers and solutions to some of the challenges facing our country.
PSSC is poised to do just that by fulfilling its mission to “consolidate the resources of local social scientists by providing the leadership… [and] take the necessary actions to cultivate, among the difference social science associations and disciplines, areas of common interest that concern social problems and go beyond the specific interest of any particular association, discipline or profession.”
NSSC 9 is going to be a most interesting event, because it will bring together experts from the various social science fields, including anthropology, history, sociology, communication, urban planning, economics, and others.
Faculty and students from across the nation are encouraged to attend and participate in this event that it will be held in Mindanao for inclusivity and diversity reasons.
For details about the 9th National Social Science Congress, please email [email protected]. Mas baliw na baliw ang hindi kumikilala sa kahalagahan at kabuluhan ng pananaliksik. /FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO