UPSE's new Dean
The University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) will have a new Dean by August 1, next week. Outgoing is Dr. Raul Fabella, my former Professor in Econ. 141 (International Trade) in the mid-80s. He's a true-blue academic, with most of his papers incomprehensible for ordinary mortals even with undergrad Economics training because they are very mathematical and theoretical. So most of his papers land in international academic journals, which give UP additional pride because one of its faculties get published in prestigious academic journals which are read by many academics, even some government policy makers, around the world. He has written some less technical economic and political papers though, but you need an above-average level of IQ to dig fully his thoughts.
Sir Raul served as Dean of the School for 9 years. Among the recent important role of the School under his leadership, was its provision of intellectual ammunition for the approval of tuition fee hike in UP starting this school year for the incoming freshmen. The sophomores and older batches would pay the old rates. This tuition hike meant lesser dependence of UP from Malacanang, DBM, the Senate and the House of Representatives, for its annual financial needs. Which means lesser mendicancy on the part of UP administrators from the top politicians of the country with some of their top idiosyncracies. And more importantly, this means less drain on the pockets of taxpayers to support UP students!
Incoming Dean will be Dr. Emmanuel "Noel" de Dios. He was my professor in Econ. 106 (Math Econ.) in my undergrad years in the early 80s. Like Sir Raul, Sir Noel also got published in a number of international economic journals. But Sir Noel also writes economic papers which can be comprehensible to ordinary mortals who can read good English. For some reason of plain charm or intellectual superiority, some leftist people think the man is sympathetic with them while some rightist guys (like me) think this academic can be a good ally in advancing the philosophy of "less government, more individual responsibility".
My dream for UP, which shocks many of my fellow UP alumni and makes some of them disdain me, is for UP to be a full private university someday. Just like Ateneo and UE, La Salle and UST, FEU and UV, Adamson and WNC, and hundreds of many other private colleges and universities. These universities and their students somehow manage without receiving a single centavo of subsidy from taxpayers' money for their tuition and other school fees. The poor students? Private UP can give scholarships, can offer study now pay later, can provide opportunities for working students, and so on. But not an across-the-board scholarship for each and every student, including rich students.
About 3 years ago, I had a short and informal chat with Sir Noel about privatizing UP. He replied, "Yes, possible, why not?"
UPSE still stands on rock-solid intellectual foundation with guys like Dr. Fabella and Dr. de Dios at the helm.
Sir Raul served as Dean of the School for 9 years. Among the recent important role of the School under his leadership, was its provision of intellectual ammunition for the approval of tuition fee hike in UP starting this school year for the incoming freshmen. The sophomores and older batches would pay the old rates. This tuition hike meant lesser dependence of UP from Malacanang, DBM, the Senate and the House of Representatives, for its annual financial needs. Which means lesser mendicancy on the part of UP administrators from the top politicians of the country with some of their top idiosyncracies. And more importantly, this means less drain on the pockets of taxpayers to support UP students!
Incoming Dean will be Dr. Emmanuel "Noel" de Dios. He was my professor in Econ. 106 (Math Econ.) in my undergrad years in the early 80s. Like Sir Raul, Sir Noel also got published in a number of international economic journals. But Sir Noel also writes economic papers which can be comprehensible to ordinary mortals who can read good English. For some reason of plain charm or intellectual superiority, some leftist people think the man is sympathetic with them while some rightist guys (like me) think this academic can be a good ally in advancing the philosophy of "less government, more individual responsibility".
My dream for UP, which shocks many of my fellow UP alumni and makes some of them disdain me, is for UP to be a full private university someday. Just like Ateneo and UE, La Salle and UST, FEU and UV, Adamson and WNC, and hundreds of many other private colleges and universities. These universities and their students somehow manage without receiving a single centavo of subsidy from taxpayers' money for their tuition and other school fees. The poor students? Private UP can give scholarships, can offer study now pay later, can provide opportunities for working students, and so on. But not an across-the-board scholarship for each and every student, including rich students.
About 3 years ago, I had a short and informal chat with Sir Noel about privatizing UP. He replied, "Yes, possible, why not?"
UPSE still stands on rock-solid intellectual foundation with guys like Dr. Fabella and Dr. de Dios at the helm.
posted by Bienvenido Oplas Jr | 8:23 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home