The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) held its 7th Ateneo Graduate Research and Innovation Conference (AGRIC) last 11 March 2023 at the Bapa Benny Tudtud Auditorium with the theme “Inclusivity and Diversity in a VUCA World.”
Closed to 200 participants joined the conference which was conducted in hybrid form for the first time. Using ADDU’s HISFlex Classrooms, participants and paper presenters were either present online or onsite.
The keynote speaker for this year’s AGRIC was Fr. Joel E. Tabora, SJ, President of the Ateneo de Davao University. He spoke about the meaning of inclusivity and diversity as opposed to exclusivity and sameness, and the former’s importance as drivers for research and innovation in the university, amidst the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of our world. Fr. Tabora stressed the necessity of doing research in every university whose main reason for existence is precisely the search for the truth.
This year, twenty-five (25) papers were presented in the parallel sessions, coming from the fields of philosophy, anthropology, psychology, chemistry, development studies, social work, public administration, among others. Some of the topics included stress, urban flooding, climate resilience, pet bottles, gender, indigenous peoples of Davao and Mindanao, PLHIV, ethics, among others.
An annual event aimed at promoting the culture of research and innovation in the SAS Graduate School, AGRIC was originally meant for SAS graduate students and faculty members to present or disseminate their completed or on-going researches to a broader audience and receive feedback from the latter.
Over the years, other researchers outside of ADDU and Mindanao have used AGRIC as a platform for sharing their own scholarly works to the SAS Graduate School community. Indeed, AGRIC has become a venue where SAS graduate students not only hone their research skills but also engage and collaborate with other scholars and industry experts.