In response to the continually changing global community and educational landscape brought about by technological advancement, St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) held its 5th International Interdisciplinary Research Conference (5th IIRC) on 9-11 December 2022. Held in a hyflex mode, the 5th IIRC engaged about 700 researchers, academicians, innovators, entrepreneurs, practitioners, graduate students, and research enthusiasts from different countries and disciplines in a series of academic conversations at the SPUP Global Center (onsite) and via MS Teams (online).
Highlighting these conversations were plenary talks, paper presentations, and networking anchored on technology- and values-centered research and innovations, the transformative force driving academic, professional, and civil communities in the 21st century. Sr. Merceditas Ang, SPC, president of SPUP, welcomed the resource speakers, guests, and participants, stressing in her message the importance of research, the fount of inventions and innovations, in fostering progress, peace, and sustainability.
This year’s plenary speakers include Dr. Hubert Benitez, president and chief executive officer of American International College, USA, who delivered his keynote speech framed by “Blazing New Trails in Creativity, Innovation, and Sustainability,” the theme of the conference.
On the other hand, Dr. Mansur Hasib, global award-winning cybersecurity education leader and author of Bring Inner Greatness Out and Cybersecurity Leadership, talked about “Creativity and Inner Greatness Towards Breakthrough Research Outcomes.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Tony Devine, international vice president for education of Global Peace Foundation (GPF), discussed “Sustainability Leadership: The New Advantage in the 21st Century,” while Dr. Suryanto, assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia, expatiated on “Global Healthcare Innovations.”
Punctuating the three-day event were concurrent research presentations along different areas such as healthcare, pedagogy, community development, mental health and wellness, business and entrepreneurship, including literature review, science, technology, and mathematics.
Moreover, Dr. Jesus Pizarro, director of the Center for Planning, Research, Innovations, and New Technologies (CPRINT), delivered the synthesis of the conference while Dr. Jeremy Godofredo Morales, director of internationalization and conference chair, conveyed his acknowledgements. Spearheaded by the CPRINT, the 5th IIRC aimed to provide an educational and scientific platform for interdisciplinary high-impact research on the 4IR post-pandemic era and beyond and create networking opportunities and alliances for the advancement of knowledge, innovation, and practice towards smart, future-ready organizations.
It also sought to foster creativity, innovation, and sustainability in implementing a humanistic approach to technology-enabled learning and advance sustainability efforts towards social transformation by deepening collaborative research engagements among academicians, innovators, entrepreneurs, and practitioners.
Further, the conference was co-hosted by the following foreign higher education institutions (HEIs): American International College, Massachusetts, USA; Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia; Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; Universitas Sulawesi Barat, South Sulawesi, Indonesia; Unversitas Respati Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Makassar Health Polytechnic, Makassar City, Indonesia; Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, China; Changzhou Vocational Institute of Engineering, Changzhou, China; Shanghai Urban Construction Vocational College, Shanghai, China; and Omega International College, Singapore.
