“I represented the academe in the consortium not as Ficer Dofredo, but as Urdaneta City University.” These were the words articulated by Engr. Ficer Dofredo, faculty member from the College of Engineering and Architecture, while he was reminiscing the years he spent as a former board member of the Ilocos Aquaculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDDEC).
Dofredo was awarded a plaque of recognition for his years of service and exemplary performance as an executive of the consortium during the 32nd Regional Symposium on R&D Highlights on March 16, 2021. In an interview, he narrated some of the significant highlights of UCU’s membership to ILAARDDEC.
“I couldn’t forget the very first year we joined the research consortium, UCU was the champion. We beat different universities in the region which are experts when it comes to research. And that is something to be proud of,” he said.
“I realized that there’s a lot of student researchers in our university who have a great potential basta lang mabigyan sila ng avenue na mai-present ang kanilang mga crafts in a bigger audience. In this way, mas mai-expose at mas makilala ng karamihan ang kanilang mga outputs,” he stated pointing out the importance of having an avenue for research presentation.
Meanwhile, he said that the consortium has opened doors for the university to get involved in various research conferences. He added that through the partnership with ILAARDDEC, the university was able to participate in different research development trainings such as policy-making, write-shop, competitions, and presentations.
“Through the partnership, nabuhay ang research culture sa ating University. Mas naging mas makabuluhan ang pagko-conduct ng research which outputs contribute to the discovery of new body of knowledge,” he emphasized.
“If you conduct a research, make sure that you put your heart in it. You have to devote a certain time of the day to do the research. If you get tired, it’s okay. If you get upset with your study, it’s okay. That’s where the passion for research starts. Magugulat ka na lang na you come up with a significant result,” the engineer’s advice to all aspiring student and faculty researchers.
“And one thing to remember, don’t copy the work of other people. You should come up with your own output and idea,” he added.
The academician is the former Vice President for Research and Extension of UCU who spearheaded the development of research and expansion of linkages in the university.#
- James Robert R. Canlas and Mia Angela B. Royulada