GRADUATION ADDRESS
by H.E. DR. ESTRELLA F. ALABASTRO
Mr. President, Excellencies from the diplomatic corps, faculty of AIT, members of the graduating class, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
I am deeply honored by the invitation extended to me to address the 97th graduation rites of one of the most prestigious institutions in the region. For me, this is an opportunity to renew ties with AIT, which through the years, has served as the training ground for a number of Filipino scientists, technologists, educators, and S&T; managers.
Graduation is probably one of the most memorable occasions in one's life. It represents the finality in the education process, at least for some of you, or a signal to an end of many years of rigorous academic labor and experimental work. Let me therefore congratulate you for successfully hurdling the demands and challenges of post-graduate degree programs at this prestigious institution.
The Global Scenario
Today, more than ever, we bear witness to dramatic changes and significant trends in the global environmental that would impact the lives and future of nations and peoples. Notable among these influential changes are the increasing importance of knowledge as a driver of growth, the information and communication revolution , the emergence of a global labor market, and transformations in the global, sociopolitical arena.
The ability of a society to produce, select, adapt, commercialize and use knowledge for productive endeavors is now a critical determinant for sustained economic growth of nations. The comparative advantage of any country lies more on its capacity for technological innovation and the competitive use of knowledge and less on the abundance of its natural resources and cheap labor. As a result, countries, particularly the more developed ones, invest heavily on research and development, education, information technology and other components that make up the knowledge base.
The technological revolution in information and communications technology has no doubt effected dramatic changes in individual and societal lives. Rapid progress in electronics, telecommunications, and satellite technologies has paved the way for faster and distribution of knowledge. Reduced communication costs coupled with tremendous computing power have also collapsed the barriers to information exchange among people, institutions, and nations.
Globalization has also facilitated the movement of skilled people brought about largely by the access to more efficient communication channels, declining transportation costs, and the opening of political borders. There is a global market for workers possessing the right skills and training needed in this highly competitive and technology-dependent era. The more developed countries are finding ways to attract and retain the best-trained minds, giving incentives, which could not be matched by developing countries. These include, besides an attractive compensation package, opportunities for post-graduate training, and a conducive environment for research.
Rapid changes are taking place not only in the realm of science, technology, and economics but also in the socio-political arena. The global political landscape is transforming as countries around the world experience turnovers in leadership and form of government. There is also a growing concern and increasing awareness on social and political issues such as governance, accountability, human rights, and the role of civil society, among others.
Challenges in a globalizing world
Both opportunities and threats stem from these new developments. Even developing countries can leapfrog to the global economy in selected growth areas by accessing the available knowledge base. But current realities have deterred developing countries and economies in transition to build up their capability to generate and harness knowledge. Investment in science and technology has remained low. Moreover, the infrastructure, expertise, policy framework, organizational and incentive structure need to be enhanced in order to allow this investment to become productive.
These exists a digital divide among and within nations such that digital information and advanced communication technologies are accessed only by those with the needed resources. Within countries, the technological revolution has also made the already disadvantaged or excluded sectors of society low-income, rural population, women, minorities, elderly-fall farther behind.
Lastly, with the expansion of the global market for advanced human capital comes the related problem of brain drain. Losing technical and professional workers is a serious concern as this would adversely developing countries, to pursue productive and innovative endeavors.
Strengthening the technological innovation system
National development strategies have therefore focused on addressing the challenges of globalization. A more component of these strategies is the strengthening of the national innovation system or NIS.
The world bank describes the NIS to be a web made up of the following elements: (a) knowledge-producing organizations in the education and training system; (b) the appropriate macroeconomic and regulatory framework including trade policies that affect technology diffusion; (c) innovative firms and network of enterprises; (d) adequate communication infrastructures; and (e) other factors such as access to the global market base and certain market conditions that favor innovation. These elements should function harmoniously to allow accrual of optimum benefits for the nation. Needless to say, the strengthening of the NIS entails large investment for acquisition and maintenance of appropriate infrastructures, institution, and human resources.
Despite the many constraints experienced by developing countries, concrete steps are being taken to boost their respective technological innovation system. At the helm of these efforts in the Philippines is the department of science and technology, which is mandated to provide central direction, coordination, and management to all scientific and technological activities of the country. Our program involves a synergy of efforts to provide R&D; support and strengthen the R&D; infrastructure including human resources development. Programs are also in place to bridge the gap between technology generation and utilization.
The country is also actively involved in regional S&T; collaboration through the ASEAN and APEC, as we clearly see the benefits of participation in a broader, and more intensive collaboration in science and technology.
The DOST-AIT partnership
Various modalities for improving the country's human resource capability in science and technology are also being implemented. Scholarships for pursuing S&T-oriented; secondary schooling, tertiary to graduate and post-graduate levels are available.
Early this year, the department of science and technology entered into an agreement with the Asian Institute of Technology for post-graduate training of Filipino professionals. Scholarships will be provided to pursue graduate studies at AIT in the fields needed for the country's development. This move is intended to help create a pool of highly-trained and highly-skilled human resource necessary for achieving long-term sustainability for the Philippines.
The AIT was chosen as DOST's partner in this undertaking because of its track record of excellence and unique regional orientation that enables students to integrate into their studies the realities and peculiarities of Asia. The institute can also boast of its academic programs and facilities, which are comparable to those of highly reputable universities worldwide.
We hope to be able to start sending our scholars to AIT starting the 1st semester of 2004. Just like you, we expect them to be graduates in 2006.
The realities of the global scenario which I have just described will confront you as you return to your home countries, or the research institutions that sponsored your studies here or as you begin your search for that private company where you can best apply the skills and expertise gained from years of stay at AIT.
Graduates of higher-level degree programs are needed to staff public and private R&D; institutes as well as high-technology manufacturing firms. These institutions and firms are the main mechanisms by which results of research are infused into the local economy thereby transforming the technical production bases of the agricultural, manufacturing, and other sectors.
As graduates of this prestigious institution, many of you will become pillars and decision-makers of these S&T; institutions in your country. Be active partners and advocates in building up the innovative capacities of the nations of this region. May you become instruments for enabling S&T; to work for the technological progress of your country so that peoples in our region can reap the benefits of sustained productivity and improved quality of life that S&T; has long promised.
Again, congratulations to the graduating class of 2003! As we say it in the Philippines, Mabuhay!