MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-four French and Filipino researchers have come together to publish Philippines Contemporaines (Contemporary Philippines), a monographie that provides a multi-disciplinary examination of contemporary Philippine society.
Spearheaded by the Institut de Recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est Contemporaine (IRASEC), a Bangkok-based French research institute dedicated to studying the political, social and environmental evolution in the 11 countries of the region, Contemporary Philippines includes works from both French and Filipino experts from various fields and academic institutions.
The monographie, divided into six sections, explores topics on the Philippines’ colonial past, environmental and risk management, education, foreign relations, health and medicine, and a special chapter on Mindanao among others.
“Not only does the publication help put the Philippines back on the map in the domain of the social sciences, but it also brings together the work of 16 Filipino researchers (out of a total of 24 authors),†said IRASEC director François Robinne.
“Philippines Contemporaines is exactly what we at IRASEC want our collaborations with local researchers and institutions to be: Rigorous academic research that offers new and innovative analyses on important themes,†he added.
French Ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon noted the significance of this collaboration as it “provides key elements for understanding the (local) situation in the conceptualization of concrete projects in the Philippines†such as research programs, investments, and development or humanitarian projects.
Although the monographie is written in French, Ambassador Garachon noted the possibility of future projects between French and Filipino researchers to be published in English. It can likewise serve as the foundation for future cooperation in research and provide themes and material for future roundtable discussions between French and Filipino experts.