Dr. Malayang Speaks at Prestigious Envt’l Future Confab in UK
Silliman University President Dr. Ben S. Malayang III is one of only 18 distinguished international environmental experts invited to speak at the 6th International Conference on Environmental Future on July 18 to 22 at Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
Sponsored by the Foundation for Environmental Future based in Switzerland and the Newcastle University, the Conference pools experts from around the world in determining a common direction into the future, with an “interdisciplinary” thinking approach to addressing environmental problems.
Dr. Malayang’s paper, “Rethinking how we do environmental science,” is one 18 meticulously selected review papers invited to be presented at the conference. His paper provides depth and comprehensive grounding to an analysis of the state and directions of present-day environmental interdisciplinary. His work will form a significant part of a book that the Conference will publish.
Known for his innovative ideas that encourage a critique of the continuing relevance of certain practices, Dr. Malayang will head a session where Conference participants are able to explore further “Environmental Conservation.” His session will offer a summary containing alternative frameworks to interdisciplinary, keeping focus on the concepts of “‘collaboration’ (different sciences put together to undertake a common investigation of a particular environmental event), ‘syncreticism’ (sciences 'overlaid' to undertake multidisciplinary investigations), and ‘synthesis’ (‘meta-science' – an environmental science created from a number of sciences).”
Dr. Malayang is considered an authority in environmental management and international development. He is a member of the International Science Planning Committee of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change based in Bonn, Germany, environmental science member of the National Committee on Bio-safety of the Philippines, and member of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Development Programme Portfolio Programs. He worked in government as Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources from 1993 to 1995.
An author of several books, Dr. Malayang has served as Team Leader, Mission Leader, and Lead Writer on Empowerment and Governance in projects funded by and conducted in partnership with foreign governments and international organizations, including being International Adviser on the National Capacity Self-Assessment Project of the Royal Government of Cambodia.
He holds an MA in Philosophy and another MA in International Affairs (Southeast Asia Studies; Major in Economics; Minor in Political Science and Philosophy) from the Ohio State University, and a PhD in Wildland Resource Science from the University of California at Berkeley.
School year 2011-2012 commences the second term of Dr. Malayang as President of Silliman University, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees in a special meeting held October 2010. He serves the University for another five years.
