Three students under the Master in Public Administration program of Cor Jesu College presented their research outputs during the 2016 KAPA International Conference last June 23-25, 2016 at Cheongju, South Korea, with a theme “Redesigning Public Administration for Future Society.”
The conference was organized by the Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA). It was established in 1956 and is the largest and most prominent professional association in the field of public administration in Korea. KAPA encourages excellence in research, teaching, and practice in the field of public policy and public management.
In his message, Dr. Yu, Pyeong Jun said, “I hope that researchers from all over the world will take this opportunity to get together and engage in active dialogues and academic exchanges with the common goal of redesigning public administration and its educational direction, and furthering research and development in this area.”
The MPA students were accompanied by their research professor, Randy A. Tudy, PhD, who selected them among his students in his research subject in the graduate school. Their papers were their individual requirements from the said subject.
“I am very proud of my students who were brave enough to mingle and rub elbows with experts and experienced scholars from other countries. The format of the conference was a bit scary, especially for neophytes like them, because there was always an assigned expert discussant per paper. The discussant scrutinized the paper and identified major weaknesses. If he/she was not satisfied, questions were asked for clarification. However, it was done very professionally. My students did very well. For sure, it was a great experience for them,” Dr. Tudy commented.
Ms. Jugador, an employee of DASURECO, an electric cooperative in Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental, presented her paper entitled “Life on the Line: The unseen dangers of linemen at work.” She was a presenter on June 25, 2016, Session 10, under Social Policy and Future Public Administration group. Together with her were Dr. Park, Sang Chul of Korea Polytechnic University and Dr. Rhee, Sang Jin of Gyeongsang National University. The person who acted as discussant was Dr. Park, Hyung Jun of Sungkyunkwan University.
Ms. Pueblo presented her paper last June 23, 2016 entitled “Shifting farmers’ interest from coconut to other crops” under Fiscal Policy for Future Society group. After her presentation, Dr. Joe, Dong Hee of Korea Energy Economics Institute shared his comments and suggestions to improve Pueblo’s paper.Â
Ms. Ortiz, a staff of Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO) in one municipality in Davao del Sur,  presented her paper entitled “Abused women speak up: Motivations and insights of women in stopping domestic violence”. Her presentation was grouped under Social Policy Institutional Design for Future Society. Other presenters were David Oliver of Incheon National University and Cho, Moo Sung of Korea University. Ms. Ortiz’ discussant was Pyun, Hae Ok of University of Orleans.
The conference gathered scholars and practitioners in public administration from all over the world. Ms. Pueblo, an officer of Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) was happy for the opportunity saying “My graduate study in Cor Jesu College gives me the opportunity to better understand our farmer-clients. Through the qualitative study of our research, I was able to deeply understand the problems of the Philippine Coconut Authority. I am; therefore, very thankful to Cor Jesu College for giving me this opportunity to develop my skills in research and to be able to present my paper in Korea.”
It was the first international exposure of CJC graduate school students in research presentations outside the country. “Cor Jesu College teaches us about research but not only doing our research but sharing it to the scientific community. As to my research output, Cor Jesu College gives me the opportunity and privilege to present it during the international conference in South Korea,” Ms. Ortiz shared.
The Graduate School of Cor Jesu College is leading the research efforts of the school. A good number of its professors were authors of books and research articles. Some of them were also presenters in local, national and international research presentations.
“Cor Jesu College truly draws out the best in us. I am just a second year student of Master in Public Administration yet I gained research skills through our professor. To be able to present my paper here in South Korea with experts from all over the world is a great blessing and privilege,” Ms. Jugador added.
After the conference, the students, together with their professor, wasted no time in learning the culture of the Koreans. They visited the palaces, war memorial, and other tourist attractions in Seoul, South Korea. It was indeed a learning experience.
