Balik scientists share expertise

MANILA, Philippines - Six overseas Filipino scientists have returned home under the Department of Science and Technology’s Balik Scientist Program (BSP).

The program encourages Filipino science and technology experts to return to the country, and help “accelerate the scientific, agro-industrial and economic development of the country” by sharing their expertise with academic, public, and private institutions.

Dr. Dennis Merino, an expert in matrix analysis in the field of mathematical sciences, has been a professor of Mathematics at Southeastern Louisiana University since 1992.

He has been conducting lectures, seminars, and facilitating research at the Institute of Mathematics of the University of the Philippines in Diliman for the last two months.

“The talent is actually here,” Merino said. “Hopefully, we can get more talents from universities all over the country for the benefit of our country and maybe I can help achieve that.”

On the other hand, Dr. Francisco Chung is sharing his vast experience and expertise at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the College of Medicine in the University of the Philippines-Manila.

A molecular medicine expert with post doctoral fellowships from various laboratories in Australia and United States, Chung wants to “stimulate graduating medicine students” and let them know that they are at par and as talented as students abroad.

He has two more years in the program, after studying abroad since 2004, “to connect Filipino medicine students to international laboratories” that would encourage them to produce international quality research in the field of medicine.

Four other experts have returned under the BSP’s short-term program to share their expertise: plant molecular genetics expert Nora Lapitan, water engineering and management expert Amor Valeriano Ines, nuclear engineer Carlito Aleta, and civil engineer Victor Pulmano.

Under the BSP, a total of 21 scientists have come back to serve the country this year alone. With goodnewspilipinas.com