Chancellor Rogelio O. Juliano
More than a year has passed since the last Provisional Governing Council meeting in Surabaya, Indonesia in which I had stated that the University of the Philippines in the Visayas will need about a year to study and review the Master in Aquaculture programme in relation to the Senior Aquaculturists training in NACA. Within the said year, the University had made an attempt to review the curricular programme but in view of the concentrated efforts in the development of the fisheries complex in Miag-ao, Iloilo, it was decided to retain the programme as it is. A series of meetings had been held with the NACA, particularly with Mr. Chen and Dr. Sinha, on the granting of the M. Aq. degree to the seventh batch of Senior Aquaculturists trainees at the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department in Tigbauan, Iloilo.
The University had been faced by difficulties in implementing the degree programme for the NACA trainees mainly because our school year does not exactly coincide with the NACA training schedule, and the University had been handling a separate batch of students under the same programme. In the meetings with Mr. Chen and Dr. Sinha, we have managed to eliminate many problems in the implementation of the degree programme in relation to admission, schedules of the training and the degree programme, field trips in the Philippines and other countries, and other aspects. There are still a few matters to clear up with NACA but it seems that final agreement for mutual benefit can be expected.
The UPV realizes its obligation in providing its commitments to NACA but the M. Aq. as an academic programme is also a prerogative of the Faculty of Fisheries. The UPV administration also has to listen what its faculty dictates on academic matters, normally always having a bearing on administrative matters.
Despite certain difficulties, it is felt that the relationship with NACA and UP in the Visayas should continue and that the interest of Asian aquaculture be served.
