Collaboration Activity with Isabela State University

During the second day of their visit to the University of Southern Mindanao, Dr. Jonathan N. Nayga and Dr. Isagani P. Angeles, Jr. of Isabela State University joined a collaboration activity with USM faculty-researchers from the College of Agriculture, the College of Human Ecology and Food Sciences, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the USM Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubator (USM-ATBI). The activity was facilitated by Dr. Ma. Teodora N. Cabasan, the USM Vice President for Research, Development and Extension.

Isabela State University has 21 very productive research centers. In the Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Center alone, more than 50 patents, including utility models, were generated. Dr. Nayga and Dr. Angeles shared their notable success to provide practical tips to package proposals for external funding and to develop and sustain products generated from research. During the activity, participants also explored further avenues for strengthening the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities through more specific activities such as student and faculty exchange, peer review in each others’ respective scientific journals, and linkages with international researchers. Seeing the potential of USM, Dr. Nayga and Dr. Angeles offered to collaborate with USM researchers so that research outputs can cross the boundaries of the university and reach communities. They challenged USM researchers to think wider, to think regionally, and even nationally. Dr. Josephine Migalbin, the Director of the SOCCSKSARGEN Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (SOXAARRDEC), reminded the participants that the collaborative activity is not the end of the two-day visit of ISU, but the start of a more fruitful collaboration between the two universities.