Forest Foundation Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) to strengthen research in Philippine forestry through the lens of social science and the humanities.
With support from the Swedish Government, AAS launched a four-year project, “Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences and Supporting Under-represented Scholars of Asia”, to aid students, researchers, women and ethnic minority groups in South and Southeast Asia, in conducting local research of relevance to poverty reduction and inclusive and sustainable societies.
Through the partnership, research grants are provided to Filipino students and individual researchers whose projects are related to Philippine forest conservation, particularly in Forest Foundation’s focal landscapes in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, and Palawan, and other areas with pressing forest conservation issues. The partnership is expected to foster collaborative activities, such as knowledge exchange and production of knowledge materials, including articles and books related to the Philippine forest environment. It aims to build interdisciplinary scholarship on important issues, such as the sustainable management of forest resources and the protection of its biodiversity, among others.
In its first year (2022-2023), AAS awarded a total of 21 grants across different regions, four of which were awarded to the Philippines. Among the four, two projects are supported by the Forest Foundation under its research grants program:
- “Negotiating Silence of Muted Indigenous Healing and Healers in Public Health Discourse in Northern Philippines” by Christine Grace Fuchigami, Benguet State University; and
- “Politics, Hydraulics, and Water Flow: Afterlife Legacy of Big Dam Implementation in Northern Philippines” by Rhomir Yanquiling.
The next cycle of funding will open around June to August of 2023.
More information about the program can be found here.
About Forest Foundation Philippines:
Established in 2002, under a bilateral agreement between the governments of the United States of America and the Philippines, the Forest Foundation Philippines is a nonprofit organization that provides grants to organizations that protect and conserve the forests.
About AAS:
AAS is a non-profit professional association dedicated to the principled advancement of the field of Asian Studies through international intellectual exchange, network building, publications, scholarly projects, support for research, teaching, public outreach and engagement, and career development, both within the academy and beyond.
