The University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute
(UPMSI) Center of Excellence (CoE) for the Coral Reef Targeted Research and
Capacity Building for Management (CRTR) in Southeast Asia recently held a
communications workshop with Australian-based communications consultancy, Currie
Communications, at the UPMSI.
The CRTR program advocates improved reef management all over
the world by providing coral reef managers and policy makers with factual
knowledge based on scientific researches. Kim Mitchell, Currie’s senior
consultant and the CRTR’s communication coordinator, pointed to the importance
of facilitating understanding between the scientific community and the local
community and said, "the thing about building bridges is that it is message
received properly—not just message sent—through excellent communication skills."
The workshop was aimed at understanding the key strengths,
capacities and challenges of the Philippines-Southeast Asia CoE and UPMSI as a
whole, for more effective communication between researchers and target
audiences. To achieve this, part of the workshop was a simulated media
conference where one group of participants played "scientists" while the other
group stood as a contingent of television, radio and newspaper journalists who
interviewed the scientists. The exercise was designed to provide participants
with an experience of the pace and diversity of a media conference.
Leading the workshop participants was Dr. Edgardo Gomez, the
founding director of UPMSI and coordinator of the Philippines/ SEA CoE.
UPMSI was first established as the university’s Marine Sciences Center on
March 28, 1974 and eventually became an institute on April 23, 1985. It has
three primary purposes: to generate information critical to the optimal use,
management, and conservation of the marine environment and its resources; to
provide post-graduate training and extension services essential to the
development of human resource needs in the field of marine sciences; and to
develop sustainable and suitable marine-based technologies crucial to industrial
and economic progress. A National Center of Excellence in the Marine Sciences,
UPMSI has helped provide the basis for policies in the research and development
programs of the country for the past 10 years.
