The 'S' words of progress

(Part 2 of 2)

UP would update and enrich the content of its natural and social science programs, and promote multidisciplinary education and research involving the sciences and engineering, and the arts, humanities and culture. Scientific and technological innovations, pursued in the proper socio-cultural and historical context, would become more effective and lasting drivers of socio-economic growth. Creative artists and writers, philosophers and scholars of culture, history, politics and governance, would use S&T tools to enhance their work, and expand the subject and source of their inspiration and insights through the continuum of life forms, not just human. The synergy between the arts and sciences would be the basis for more complex, more multi-faceted, less shortsighted solutions that are direly needed to cope with the complex problems of our existence.

UP as an institution would use the methods of science to gather and analyze quantitative, verifiable data, as a basis to implement new interventions to improve its academic productivity, as well as the quality of life of the UP community. There would be constant triggers for further saltatory growth. Could there possibly be good models of leadership, infrastructure and supra-structures (human structures, interactions and mechanisms) derived from lower life forms that could guide us toward our own excellence?

How we in UP would continue to contribute the best of humans in our country and in the world — is the greatest challenge we face. How should we educate the best and brightest students in our country? On the one hand, the faculty are the heart of our university. Faculty who bravely and cheerfully take great leaps in their teaching, mentoring, creativity and innovation, are the best models for our students and future generations of our youth. On the other hand, what better teachers, mentors and nurturers of humans than the best of humans that ever lived (philosophers, discoverers, innovators, creators, writers, leaders, including those that humans revere as God) and also… the best of nature?

Among the most effective, persuasive human leaders in society, with lasting contributions to human progress, are those who dare to speak and write the substance in their minds, their hearts and their hands. These include those who publish their scientific work and those who popularize science by writing articles about science for the general public.

This brings me to the value of this column Star Science which I started in 2003. The book “Selected Essays on Science and Technology for Securing a Better Philippines” published by the UP Press as a UP Centennial book in 2008 and the forthcoming twin books, “Science Philippines 1 and 2,” also to be launched by the UP Press in September are compilations of Star Science articles that have been arranged under broad classifications of the sciences. For more information about these books, visit www.uppress.com.ph/.

Who are our writers? Dedicated Filipino scientists and engineers here and abroad who wished to share their scientific work and philosophy with the Filipino public — to heighten the awareness of our government and media leaders, private industry, entrepreneurs, professionals, non-professionals, and most especially our youth, their parents and teachers, of the value of science to society.

We have relied on the collective efforts of many Filipinos to sustain Star Science through almost 10 years and to them, I am deeply grateful. In particular, I would like to thank our most prolific contributors: Drs. Raymond Tan, Ed Padlan and Francis de los Reyes. I also wish to thank Dr. Raymond Tan for managing this column in the past year, and those who painstakingly worked on organizing, compiling and editing the articles into the books through the years — members of my research group, Jan Michael Cayme and Ryan Cabansag, my co-editors of the first book, Drs. Ed Padlan and Caesar Saloma, and UP Press directors Prof. Malou Camagay and Dr. Jose Neil Garcia. Special thanks to Drs. Jose “Butch” Dalisay and Ed Gomez, and Tony Paño, for having made Star Science possible.

Clearly, having the physical infrastructure (and soon the ICT infrastructure) — an enabling environment in UP — is a basic requirement to educate and mentor the best and brightest youth in the country and conduct meaningful, productive research in UP. However, infrastructure is hardly enough. We need a new scientific supra-structure — a scientific paradigm — a mindset and way of life of progressive change and renewal — to be learned and imbibed in the UP community, which could serve as a microcosm for the rest of Philippine society.

We have chosen Filipino heroes as models of the best humans for our youth. On the few occasions that I have spoken before UP students and UP’s summa cum laudes (at the annual UP SUMMA SUMMIT), I have said, “There are Jose Rizals among you — geniuses!” However, it is not enough to possess genius; like Rizal,… become prolific innovators, creators, writers and above all, commit to solve problems of one’s fellowmen and the community as Rizal did when he was on exile in Dapitan. Our concept of leadership for the new generation of Filipinos goes beyond political leadership. Our youth will lead as experts in their fields of specialization and use their expert knowledge and broad world view to work with other experts to help solve the complex problems of our country.

We also have successful models from Mother Nature to follow. Knowing this, I wish, would keep us humble and open-minded as humans. Ultimately, our collective and progressive vision would have us go beyond ourselves and extend to the rest of humankind and nature.

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G. P. Padilla-Concepcion is a professor at the Marine Science Institute and Affiliate Professor at the Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. She is a member of the National Academy of Science and Technology. She is the current vice president for academic affairs of the University of the Philippines System. E-mail her at [email protected].