The College of Development Communication (CDC) and faculty members of the University of Reading (UoR) – School of Agriculture, Policy, and Development explored collaborations in a meeting held on 24 October 2022 at CDC.
Facilitated by Asst. Prof. Pamela Joyce M. Eleazar, who is pursuing her dual Ph.D. by research at UoR and UPLB, the meeting was a follow-up to an initial one held in July 2022. UoR faculty members at the meeting were Dr. Sarah Cardey and Prof. Henny Osbahr.
Asst. Prof. Rosa Pilipinas F. Francisco, the assistant to the dean, laid the agenda of the meeting, which included the involvement of UoR in the Collaborative Change Communication (CCComDev), which is CDC’s rural communication program with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO). Other agenda items included an upcoming research symposium and a new graduate program offering.
Dr. Rhodora Ramonette DV. Custodio, the focal person of CCComDev, discussed how UoR’’s graduate students could help produce participatory media-based content for the website of their program.
On the other hand, Dr. Benjamina Paula G. Flor, chair of CDC’s Graduate Program Management Committee, discussed CDC’s plans of organizing the Development Communication (Devcom) Research Conversations, which will be participated in by graduate students of international and local academic institutions offering Devcom programs. Moreover, the possibility of offering a Dual MS Development Communication between the two universities was also discussed.

Meanwhile, in her opening message, Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, who attended the meeting via Zoom, warmly welcomed CDC’s visiting faculty members from UoR and expressed her hopes to further CDC and UoR partnership beyond the current dual Ph.D. by research program offering.
In their messages, Dr. Cardey and Prof. Osbahr expressed their gratitude to CDC for hosting them once again. They also expressed their eagerness for the tangible collaborations that have surfaced from the meeting.

Others at the meeting were CDC’s department chairs, namely Dr. Trina Leah T. Mendoza (Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication), Dr. Elaine DC. Llarena (Department of Science Communication), Asst. Prof. Aletheia C. Araneta (Department of Development Journalism), as well as Dr. Liza A. Cabrera (College Secretary), Dr. Mildred O. Moscoso (Chair, CDC Extension and Public Service Committee), Dr. Pamela A. Custodio (UPLB Graduate School Secretary), Mr. Miguel Victor T. Durian (Chair, CDC Public Affairs Committee), and Ms. Renz Frances Abagat-Manrique (Chair, CDC Socials and Special Events Committee), and Ms. Zane Andrei Cortez (Project staff, CCComDev).
After the meeting, the UoR guests paid Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr. and Office of International Linkages Director Anna Floresca Firmalino a courtesy call.
