Many Firsts this year, many more challenges for PAASE
29Aug2011
Dear PAASE Colleagues:
I think you will agree that we have had several good 'firsts' for PAASE this year, but we face many more challenges. I am taking stock because my term as PAASE President is more than half-way through, and soon Gobet will take over.
1. We have a new rich website that contains information about PAASE and provides us and the general public news and updates on opportunities and materials relating to science, engineering, education and technology. We even have a cartoon section which I never miss and makes me laugh each day! I believe paase.org is now the most richly-linked science website run by Filipinos. We have Baltz Aguda to thank for this.
2. Most PAASE documents (history, constitution, membership, minutes of meetings, financial reports, membership) are now archived for posterity in paase.org.
3. We now hold regular quarterly BOD and officers meetings by Elluminate or Skype. And so we are able get many more matters formally discussed and decided by the BOD.
4. We held simultaneous Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) on several issues that are important to Philippine science and socio-economic development. Gobet plans to wrap up the discussions soon and compile the materials so we can send them to the appropriate government agencies and the private sector as part of our continuing advocacy to increase support for S&T in the Philippines. 5. We held 3-minute pitching competitions for poster presenters and for discovery /innovation /invention booth participants and this excited a lot of our young researchers. We gave winners substantial prizes. 6. We had 2010 Chemistry Nobel Laureate Richard Heck as our special guest, and plenary speakers not only from government but also from private industry. 7. We gave across-the-board registration discounts to all students, instead of selecting a handful as our fellows. Thanks to PAASE members for your generous donations.
8. We earned substantial revenues by promoting commercial booth and advertisement packages. We provided a detailed transparent financial report after 31APAMS, and now we have some seed funds to spend for PAASE's operations.
But there is more that we need to do. I wish that more of us could become active in PAASE. I'd like to suggest the following:
1. Continue to contribute to STAR SCIENCE. Our new editor Raymond Tan is currently soliciting articles because his inventory is running low. Kindly send him articles a.s.a.p.! 2. Continue to support PHILIPPINE SCIENCE LETTERS (originally conceived as a PAASE Journal) by submitting reviews and regular articles for publication and/or accepting requests to review articles. PSL is ISI-listed, online and free access. It could serve as a training ground for young Filipino researchers to publish. 3. Support paase.org by sending Baltz important news and interesting links.
4. If you have been a BALIK SCIENTIST, then share your experiences with the rest of us by uploading your Balik Scientist report in the website. 5. Many years ago, when I first became a PAASE board member, I suggested setting up a Volunteer Teacher Program (VTP) where one could match local needs with expertise there through our website. (This was when the BSP had not yet been revived.) I had also suggested that our volunteers prepare CDs of their advanced lectures to leave with their local collaborators and also to upload these in the website. I continue to suggest these.
6. I suggest that more of our members (including our new members) volunteer to help out with membership and recruitment, election process, collection of annual fees, website, constitution amendments, etc.
7. In the PAASE website, there is an opportunity for each of us to upload our CVs or create a blog about our work. Baltz also has a section on recent publications of our members. In my last message posted in the website, I provided a template of the very many ways one can contribute to society.
I hope we can continue to improve PAASE and run it efficiently so that it can attain the goals set by Dr. Severino Koh and co-founders.
Sincerely,
Giselle
