The Diploma in/Master of Research and Development Management (D/MR&DM) program is now running a two-month training course program (with synchronous and asynchronous sessions) on Research and Development Management. This training program, titled “Research Capacity Building Program for Makapuno/Agriculture Researchers and Community Extension Workers” is part of the Continuing Education Program (CEP) courses of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS). A collaboration between the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and the Cavite State University (CvSU), this first program offering aims to build the capacities of management, faculty, and staff members, particularly those who are designated to manage and operate the newly-established Makapuno Research and Development, Innovation and Resource Center (MRDIRC), in research and development management, and in developing and promoting technologies for commercialization and utilization.
The training program will orient/re-orient the researchers, community extension workers, and administration staff members on various aspects of research and development management and develop working knowledge and skills in bringing the Center’s new technologies and products closer to the target users and markets. It has six sessions covering the many facets of research and development management, which include principles, tools, concepts on R and D program planning and control, support systems, decision-making and problem-solving, the R&D manager in the S&T system, technology evaluation, intellectual property rights protection, commercialization, and utilization. One of its major outputs is the participants’ Re-entry and Action Plan (RE/AP) as one direct application of learning from the training course.
The Opening Program was conducted via Zoom on 18 February 2022, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Twenty-three (23) participants attended the opening program who were composed of R&D managers, scientists, and staff from the different units and campuses of CvSU.
Dr. Digna Manzanilla, D/MR&DM Faculty and Overall Training Coordinator, formally opened the program with a brief introduction of the online training course. This was followed by the introduction of training participants by Dr. Hosea Matel, Director of the MRDIRC of CvSU.
Dr. Jaine Reyes, D/MR&DM Program Chair, then discussed the history of the offering of the Continuing Education Programs of FMDS. This was followed by a presentation of Dr. Manzanilla on the overview of the CEP on “Research Capacity Building Program for Makapuno/Agriculture Researchers and Community Extension Workers” and the results of the Training Needs Assessment Survey. For the last part of the opening program, the training participants were asked to accomplish the Pre-Training Assessment form, with Mr. Larry N. Cruz, Program Development Associate of FMDS, as facilitator.
The CEP on R&DM will become part of the pool of non-formal courses developed by FMDS for different target groups and sectors. It will be offered to the public along with the other courses lined up this 2022.
(This article, written by Ellaisa Ruth Veluz, was first published in the U Open University Website on March 23, 2022)