Together with MSU-IIT as one of its partners, the European Union (EU) Delegation of the Philippines congratulated its winners of the EU Peace Journalism Awards at the Hotel Intercontinental, Makati on July 8, 2015.
Representing the Institute was Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol who joined in the giving of awards and the ribbon-cutting of the photo exhibition. Also in attendance were IPDM’s Prof. Juvanni A. Caballero and Dr. Mark Anthony J. Torres who was a member of the board of judges.
The Journalism Awards aim at reshaping media as a vehicle of reporting peace. Instead of war reporting on violent armed conflicts, the European Union Delegation of the Philippines envisions Philippine journalists become beacons of peaceful social transformation through awareness and appreciation to the peace process in the Mindanao context.
MSU-IIT is the only academe that is in partnership with EU. Torres thinks of two reasons for this: “IIT’s adjacent location to conflict-affected areas and the IPDM’s engagement and contribution in the peace process in Mindanao.”
The European Union’s collaboration with IIT is an indication of the long-standing commitment of both institutions for peace, especially in Mindanao.
In preserving and developing the sociocultural and ecological integrity of Lake Lanao, the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) has approved three projects for funding on the study of Lake Lanao for the Mindanao State University System. One of these projects is headed by Dr. Sukarno D. Tanggol, Chancellor of the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) in Iligan City.
Members of the NRCP Governing Board will be in MSU-IIT for an out of town meeting on July 31, 2015 and a MOA signing between the NRCP and the MSU-IIT, and the launching of the project is on August 1, 2015 at the MSU-IIT.
The two-year project for the MSU-IIT is entitled Socio-economic and Political Dimensions of Lake Lanao. It aims to emphasize the dynamics of the activities and attitudes of upland, lowland, and lakeshore community settlers in their use of the lake as a source of water.
“We speak of people whose lives are dependent on the lake,” Tanggol says. “The M’ranaos, or ‘the people of the lake’, are very much tied to the body of water in its immediate environment”.
Lake Lanao is one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the country and one of the major tropical lakes in Southeastern Asia according to David G. Frey’s study on the limnology or the study of the biological, chemical and physical features of the lake. Its outlet is the Agus River which drains into the Iligan Bay through the Maria Cristina Falls and the Linamon Falls of Lanao del Norte. It is the reservoir for the Agus Hydroelectric power plants of the National Power Corp. that generates about 60-65 per cent of power for the entire Mindanao.
The lake is likewise a source of livelihood and food (fish and prawns) and a transportation highway for the residents of Lanao del Sur.
Chancellor Tanggol also mentioned that through the project, recommendations can be submitted over the management of the lake and its watershed especially in the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) discussions whether or not the management of the lake and its watershed will be by the national government, the Bangsamoro or the local government unit.
The project speaks of MSU-IIT’s realization of its mission to become excellent in research in extension, two of its prime mandates apart from instruction. Chancellor Tanggol hopes that this project will help the national government through collaborative efforts between the people, the academe and concerned public and private entities.
The School of Computer Studies (SCS) of the Institute recently concluded the latest training it held for deaf youths that is a short course on office productivity and internet applications.
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Training for the Deaf was conducted in partnership with the Life Project for Youth (LP4Y) Foundation.
Already on its fifth year, the training aimed to integrate deaf youths into the digital world and provide them the necessary computer skills.
It was facilitated by the SCS’s Department of Information Technology.
Around 18 deaf youths have benefitted from the extension activity that is part of the SCS’s continuing efforts of extending their expertise to the community.
This year’s new batch of LP4Y youths was taught basic keyboarding, Microsoft Word and Excel, and Google applications.
Faculty and student volunteers served as facilitators alongside a sign language translator.
Started by Prof. Lemuel Clark P. Velasco and SCS Dean Alquine Roy F. Taculin in 2011, the training has already produced empowered deaf youths who have pursued job opportunities.
“It is inspiring how we can build the confidence of the deaf,” says Prof. Velasco who continues to spearhead the program and has come to learn some sign language himself.
The two-week training came to a conclusion in a closing ceremony held at the Institute Boardroom on July 22, 2015.
“They have the strength that would help society as a whole and that would help them find their means of living,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Dr. Jinky B. Bornales.
Olivier Le Galloudec, coordinator of the LP4Y Foundation, gave a keynote speech in which he expressed how touched he was “by the spirit of mission here, of helping others.”
“Our mission is for them to be autonomous, to help their families,” adds Le Galloudec.
The 18 deaf youths are benefactors of the Hear Us! Project under the LP4Y Foundation.
The institute’s partnership with the said foundation is a testament to the latter’s slogan, “I can’t, but together we can”.
Dr. Eryk Dutkeiwicz, a visiting professor from Macquarie University, Australia recently concluded his month-long lecture series at the Electrical / Electronics / Computer Engineering (EECE) Department. This is Dutkeiwicz’s third visit to MSU-IIT.
Dutkeiwicz’s lectures focused mainly on Wireless Sensor Networks from June 22 to July 17, 2015. The attendees of the lectures comprised of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering students, Doctor of Engineering students and the EECE faculty members. The opening ceremony was held at the Conference Room at the College of Engineering on June 22, 2015 with COE Dean, Atty. Edgar Alan Donasco gracing the event.
The lecture series was composed of lectures and laboratory activities as well. The participants were able to gain new knowledge regarding wireless sensors, its networks and the corresponding applications.
Starting the first semester of school year 2015-2016, the EECE Department will open a new elective course regarding wireless sensor networks.
On July 17, 2015, a closing ceremony was held at the Microelectronics Lab (MicroLab), College of Engineering.
During the closing ceremony, the participants received their certificates of attendance while the EECE Department presented a plaque and a token to Dutkeiwicz who also donated to the EECE Department wireless sensor tools and equipment.
During his stay in MSU-IIT, Dutkeiwicz toured Iligan City and joined educational caravans to Cagayan de Oro City and Davao City with the EECE faculty members. He also visited Dahilayan in Bukidnon and some tourist spots in Surigao.
The said lecture series was made possible through the funding from the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT).
Dutkeiwicz is currently the Director of a multi-disciplinary Research Centre; the Macquarie University WiMed Research Centre that focuses on the development of medical implant technologies. He is also the Director of the Wireless Communications and Networking Laboratory researching 5G technologies.
Dutkiewicz has held visiting professorial appointments at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the City University of Hong Kong and Coventry University in the UK.
He is an author of over 170 research papers and has written several chapters for books. His professional activities in recent years included his participation on various International Steering Committees with the latest being the IEEE ICC 2014 and the IEEE WPMC 2014. He is the General Chair of BodyNets 2015 and IEEE VTC 2017-Spring in Sydney.
The MSU-IIT won the Best Poster Award for the Semiconductor Materials and Electronics R&D Track during the 4th Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City on July 20, 2015.
The event was attended by faculty members and students of all graduate and post graduate programs of the College of Engineering.
The award-winning entry entitled “A Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Interface Circuit using Negative Voltage Converter with Active Diode and DC-DC Converter” by Qadier I. Jilluh taking up his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Microelectronics) and thesis adviser Prof. Allenn C. Lowaton from the Microelectronics Lab (MicroLab) of the Electronics Engineering. The work of Jilluh and Lowaton bested thirteen (13) others entries from UP-Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University and Mapua Institute of Technology.
A highlight of this event was the Poster Competition with entries from ERDT scholars around the country. MSU-IIT’s entries totaled six (6) research and development (R&D) tracks namely, Agriculture; Energy; Environment and Infrastructure; Information and Communications Technology; Manufacturing and Machinery; and Semiconductor Materials and Electronics.
This year’s congress theme “Agriculture and Science and Technology for Inclusive Growth”, recognizes the pressing concerns of the agricultural sector and the contributions that science and engineering can share with the community.
Plenary speakers were Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Acting Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Director Rex L. Bingabing, Mie University Professor Emeritus Makoto Hoki, and Phil-LiDAR 2 Program Leader Ariel C. Blanco.
The ERDT Congress is a yearly event where researchers, ERDT scholars, visiting professors, industry, government, and other experts gather and get inspired by plenary lectures of highly distinguished professors and experts all over the world. It is also a venue for the ERDT scholars to publish their academic works through a poster competition.
The ERDT is funded by the Philippine government through the Department of Science and Technology. It aims to create a critical mass of master’s and doctorate graduates in various displicines of engineering. ERDT is implemented through a consortium of eight universities in the Philippines with graduate programs in engineering.
The ERDT member universities are: UP-Diliman, UP-Los Banos, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, Central Luzon State University, the University of San Carlos and the MSU- Iligan Institute of Technology. –Contributed news
