CAFS dean challenges researchers to produce scientific publications
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Published: 30 August 2013
In the past two decades, VSU follows the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) system in the conduct of in-house reviews. Following this system, experts come not only to evaluate but also to select winners for the best papers. This is good, said Dr. Victor B. Asio, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS), during the opening of the two-day Agency In-House Review of CAFS held on May 30-31, 2013 at the e-FARMI Conference Room.
However, Dr. Asio said, it created a culture of awards and the researchers present their papers to win awards and no longer to listen to comments or suggestions for improvement. "The competition atmosphere has not really produced scientific output that is demanded in the international scientific community," exclaimed Dr. Asio.
According to Dr. Asio, the in-house review is done to enable a researcher to present either the status of an on-going project or the terminal report of a project to which a collegial body may suggest modifications or improvements. Thus, winning must not be the main propeller for the presenters.
Dr. Asio added that since the Level IV accreditation requires that VSU must be at par with international universities, it needs a string of research which results must be published in the national and international journals. "VSU has many outstanding researches but these are not published and presented," added the CAFS Dean.
On the other hand, Assoc. Prof. Efren B. Saz, VSU's Director for Extension, explained that the in-house review serves as the first round of screening for nominees to the second round. "So, the awards will still be there because, eventually, if you end up at the regional level, that will go down to your NBC 461 and other aspects of your academic life," added Director Saz.
However, Director Saz explained that the in-house review intends to improve the relevance of the scientists and the University as a whole, because many scientists are being accused of just doing their thing but the connection of this thing to the real world sometimes is a little bit hazy.
"So, we want to hear from the partners themselves if what we are doing really meet their needs. Right now, there are really very serious challenges such as the climate change and how can agriculture adapt itself to these changes in climate and the most logical unit to address this is the College of Agriculture," ended Director Saz.