TWSC at Forty: Multidisciplinary Research and the Challenges to the Center

Ricardo T. Jose

Published 2017

On 5 February 1977, Professor Francisco “Dodong” Nemenzo, Jr., then dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, along with other concerned faculty and intellectuals, launched the Third World Studies Program as a research unit of the college. This was during the height of martial law under President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the Philippines, when there were restrictions on free speech and discussion, when dissent was stifled. The Third World Studies Program was conceptualized as, to quote its founding director, Randolf “Randy” David, “an incubator of progressive ideas and a refuge to the dwindling number of irreverent scholars, dissident intellectuals, and social activists, wherever they may come from, and whatever cause they may champion.” It was a fulcrum of active, multidisciplinary discussion.

Forty years later, the program had advanced into a full-fledged research institution, the Third World Studies Center (TWSC), duly recognized as such since 2000 by UP’s highest governing body, the Board of Regents no less. Its mission and vision are as follows: “The TWSC envisions itself as the premier social science research center of the University of the Philippines. It is committed to analyze and develop critical, alternative perspectives on Philippine, regional, and global issues grounded on academic research in the best tradition of scholarly practice. Its mission is to promote progressive scholarship and action for change by undertaking pioneering research on issues of national and international concerns; create spaces for discussion and dialogue; publish original, empirically grounded, and innovative studies; and build a network of activist-scholars and public intellectuals.

From a multidisciplinary perspective, TWSC focuses mainly on, but not limited to, the following areas of concentration: political economy and globalization, social movements, authoritarianism and democratic governance, peace and human security, culture and identity, and (new) media and technology.” This follows the original aims that led to the founding of the program in 1977, and continues on to this day. The TWSC has a fixed staff, office space, a regular operating budget, and is now a part of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (one of the colleges formed after the tripartite division of the old College of Arts and Sciences in 1983). It publishes a regular journal, Kasarinlan, as well as other academic publications and monographs. It holds regular fora and public lectures. It hosts research fellows and assists them in their fieldwork. For undergraduate students, it offers, in particular, internship
opportunities that allow them to tackle social issues through video documentaries. And of course, its research staff, besides giving shape to its publications (be it print, online, or multimedia), contribute their own pioneering and relevant research projects.

To commemorate the ruby anniversary of the center, TWSC decided to host a two-day international conference on 9–10 February 2017 at the Asian Center, UP Diliman that would both reflect on the center’s past as well as highlight its contributions to scholarly and intellectual work in multidisciplinary platforms. Funding for the conference came from the UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development, and conference registration fees. Professor Alfred W. McCoy, who has had a long and productive relationship with the center, was invited as keynote speaker. Past directors were asked to share their experiences and discuss how the center grew during their respective terms. Former and current fellows were asked to contribute recent studies on a variety of topics. The response to our requests to participate in the conference was extremely positive, and the conference had two plenary sessions, four simultaneous sessions for its twelve panels, and saw the premiere of TWSC’s historical video documentary Tranvia: Ang mga Riles ng Kamaynilaan (Tranvia: The Railways of Metro Manila). It was also an occasion to pay tribute to Dodong Nemenzo, the founder of TWSC. The two days of academic sharing and discussion were both productive and provocative, and provided many approaches to a wide and diverse range of contemporary problems and issues. The papers were all new, reflecting the state of the art, cutting edge research methodology and interpretation for which the center has long prided itself. In the course of the two days of presentation and discussion, the conference served as a reunion of scholars, both established and emerging. It thus fulfilled another aim of the center, that of providing a meeting space—a forum—that encourages critical and alternative paradigms.