UP Mindanao researchers have accepted the invitation of Mindanao-Japan Science and Technology Platform (MJ-STeP) President and former Ambassador Yoshiaki Miwa to collaborate on joint research projects focused on the utilization of agricultural waste by-products, alongside opportunities for postgraduate scholarships through MJ-STeP.
“The research partnerships and postgraduate scholarships aims to create a collaboration between Japanese universities and an alliance of Mindanao higher education institutions to infuse economic activity in Mindanao and contribute to peace and order,” said Ambassador Miwa.
Amb. Miwa previously held exploratory meetings with four Mindanao universities and cited Kyoto University, Hiroshima University, the University of Tsukuba, and Nagoya University as among the Japanese institutions visited in relation to this initiative.
The UP Mindanao meeting was led by Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Prof. Maria Stella Salazar, together with School of Management (SOM) Dean Prof. Aurelia Luzviminda Gomez, Prof. Larry Digal, and faculty researchers from the Department of Food Science and Chemistry (DFSC) and SOM.
DFSC faculty members Prof. Juma Novie Alviola, Prof. Noreen Grace Fundador, Assoc. Prof. Dann Marie del Mundo, Asst. Prof. Rovie Gem Gayagas, and Asst. Prof. Marbie Alpos shared their ongoing research on utilizing unexploited agricultural by-products for food innovations—efforts that align with the proposed collaboration.
“I’m happy with this opportunity for collaboration because I look forward to the characterization of flours with expertise from Japanese universities,” said Prof. Juma Novie Alviola.
SOM faculty members Dean Gomez, Prof. Pete Alviola, Asst. Prof. Roxanne Aguinaldo, Asst. Prof. Imee Marie Acopiado, and Asst. Prof. Shemiah Gail Placencia also presented their work on agricultural value chains, food and nutrition, and farmer capacity-building.
Researchers from the Agri-Aqua Value Chain Laboratory, headed by Prof. Digal, highlighted their studies on product optimization, demand analysis, and mobile application development for agri-based enterprises.
The academic units likewise identified prospective MJ-STep scholarship applicants among their colleagues in accordance with their faculty development plans.