(MAY 22)—Prof. Edna Estifania A. Co, PhD is the new director of the UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga (UPDEPP).
Her 3-year appointment was approved at the 1344th Board of Regents (BOR) Meeting on Apr. 29, 2019.
The 10th UPDEPP director, Co will serve from Apr. 29 to Apr. 28, 2022. She succeeded Prof. Grace R. Gorospe-Jamon, PhD.
In her vision-mission paper, Co’s primary goal is to “upgrade UPDEPP to UP Diliman College Clark (UP Clark)” as UP is “committed to the establishment of regional centers of academic excellence and leadership” as per the 1166th BOR meeting on Dec. 2, 2002.
When upgraded to a college, UPDEPP “will continue to be in a leading position in the delivery of tertiary education in Central Luzon; contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a variety of disciplines in partnership with other higher learning institutions in Central Luzon; strengthen its research functions to generate knowledge and awareness in protecting and promoting the region’s environment and heritages; spread out its extension services to government and non-government agencies in promoting welfare among the region’s marginalized communities especially the Aetas; and, promote partnership with industry and international higher education institutions to ensure continuing relevance in instruction, research and extension.”
Co finished her Postdoctoral Visiting Research Fellowship at the Institute for Development Policy and Management of the University of Manchester in 2003; Doctor of Public Administration (UP, 1997); Master of Public Administration (Dean’s List, UP, 1989); and BA English (Magna Cum Laude, Sacred Heart College (Daughters of Charity) in Lucena City, Quezon, 1974). She also earned some units in MA Anthropology at UP.
Prior to her appointment, she was a professor at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG).
She started her University service as Lecturer at UP Olongapo from 2000 to 2012 and in 2016. She became NCPAG Dean (2010-2013), UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS) Executive Director (2014-2017) and UP Vice President for Public Affairs (2016-2017).
Co is presently Director of UP Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders (CIFAL Philippines/International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders), affiliated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR); and Associate Fellow of UNITAR.
The CIFAL Global Network is composed of 17 training centers worldwide. According to UNITAR’s website, CIFAL Global Network’s mission is to “strengthen the capacities of government officials and civil society leaders, thus empowering them to advance sustainable development.” UP hosts CIFAL Philippines in its Diliman campus. CIFAL Philippines serves as a hub for the Asia-Pacific region.–Benito V. Sanvictores Jr., photo courtesy of Prof. Edna Co