ILIGAN CITY (PIA) -- The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) lined up different activities for its Research Week from March 4 to 8, which served as a platform to showcase the university's research and innovations.

The activities included the Research and Innovation Expo, research colloquia for students, research proposal writing for externally funded projects for faculty, Start-up Basics 101 for students, seminar workshops on article writing, dissertation/thesis consultation, intellectual property awareness sessions for students, patent drafting workshops, fabrication laboratory designing and prototyping sessions, and the recognition of outstanding researchers from 2023.

Chancellor Alizedney Ditucalan underscored the importance of interdisciplinary research and its role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“The research week is part of the academic calendar of MSU-IIT, where we dedicated a week to showcase the research and innovations of the university. But more than that, this would also serve as a platform for our students and faculty to make time for research. This is also an avenue to capacitate the community in the pursuit of research,” he said.

Senior high school students were invited to explore the university's research ecosystem to spark their research interests. Ditucalan expressed hope that through the Research Week, students would realize the importance of research and innovation in contributing to the country's development. 

Moreover, during the Research and Innovation Expo, 20 booths showcased diverse research outputs, inventions, marketability, and advancements across the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and more.

According to Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise Dr. Ephrime Metillo, the university has secured external research funding of close to P500,000 and has been actively conducting research supported by various government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Economic and Development Authority, among others.  

“This year, we can show the public that, with the investment of the government, IIT is delivering these products with the potential for commercialization and technology transfer. Most of those displayed at the booth are already protected in terms of intellectual property. And then the next stage in development is to welcome or attract industries and companies to invest in our products,” he said. 

Metillo also hoped that the Research Week would enhance both the research and enterprise aspects of MSU IIT. He emphasized the urgent need in the Philippines for innovators and new inventions to address various societal challenges such as food security, health, and agricultural technology. He emphasized the importance of research to develop products that can be commercialized and that can generate revenue for the country. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Leslie Michelle M. Dalmacio, president of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), underscored the importance of research collaboration among institutions and with NRCP to address community needs effectively through the pooling of expertise and resources across various disciplines and institutions.

“Kailangan pa rin ang collaboration para yung mas malalaking proyekto, mas relevant na proyekto ay talagang naa-address 'yung needs ng community. Kung ano man ang na-identify na needs ng community, ito ay maisasakatuparan sa pamamagitan ng collaboration. Kasi kapag tinitingnan natin ang social needs ng mga komunidad, makikita natin na iba-ibang disiplina ang kailangan para ma-adress ang mga iyon. Hindi lang isang disiplina, hindi lang biology, engineering, math, o physics. Kailangan ng collaboration ng iba’t-ibang displina,” she said. 

[Collaboration is still needed for larger and more relevant projects to truly address the needs of the community. Collaboration can help the community meet whatever needs it identifies. Because when we look at the social needs of communities, we see that various disciplines are needed to address them. It is not just one discipline— not just biology, engineering, math, or physics. Collaboration across different disciplines is necessary.]

Moreover, the NRCP provides opportunities for higher education institutions (HEIs) and researchers in terms of funding and capacity development to craft better proposals. Once an HEI receives funding, the NRCP assists in the implementation of a project until its completion.

Dalmacio also emphasized the importance of ensuring that solutions to community problems must be science-based to avoid wasting resources, effort, and time.  

Furthermore, the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics and the Research Institute for Engineering and Innovative Technology were launched, through an executive order, as graduate schools under the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Engineering, respectively. This move aims to enhance the research environment at the university and provide graduate students with specialized niches within the research centers. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)