The BSU Research and Extension sector is under new leadership after the Board of Regents approved the appointment of Roscinto Ian C. Lumbres as its 11th Vice President effective February 27, 2024.

Concurrent with his new role, he is also the director of the Center for Geoinformatics, a post that he occupied since 2019.  

In an interview, Lumbres shared his ultimate vision to make BSU Research and Extension a nationally and globally recognized research hub that is not only confined within the province. 

“I wish to see the day when our bodies of research here in the university will soon be making an impact on the international arena where people from around the world would also benefit from our findings,” he said. 

To achieve this, the new vice president specified some of his strategic undertakings in the coming years which include collaboration, linkages, and full-fledged support for the university researchers among others. 

On points of partnership and linkages, VP Lumbres encouraged his fellow researchers and extensionists to capitalize on outside-funded projects and other available resources outside the university as observations concluded a decline in this area. 

He further explained the necessity of collaboration for crafting relevant and timely policies to address current issues and mitigate future challenges. 

Additionally, he plans to focus on creating an inclusive and nurturing environment as part of the university’s research culture that fosters growth and excellence. This encompasses a “good support system” including state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories, and new methodologies among others. 

VP Lumbres shared, “We need to capacitate our researchers, both faculty members and non-teaching personnel. We need to link them to the right people and right institutions.”

One of his advocacies also highlights initiatives to support people from the university possessing promising potential as agents for positive and impactful changes and development to be sent for their international studies. 

“Our researchers need to study outside BSU. In this way, we can adapt whatever existing knowledge and technologies they have. We will then try to calibrate it according to our structure and setup,” he added.  
 
When asked about the true goal of research, VP Lumbres expressed, “Definitely, it's to help humanity. For instance, it helps to minimize environmental degradation. In the social aspect, we contribute to the preservation of the indigenous people’s knowledge. Then of course, on the business side, the end goal is to commercialize our maturing technologies which can help our farmers increase their profit and spend lesser cost on their inputs.”

On another note, the vice president emphasized the imperative role of a clear vision along with a good moral, a good name, and a good foresight in leading such a big sector. According to him, achieving well-organized steps towards development requires a holistic approach. 

While admitting that the vice presidency is a daunting position, VP Lumbres expressed optimism and enthusiasm for the future.

“Since the research and development sector plays some of the biggest roles in the university, it brings much pressure right now… Compared to the former vice presidents, I am relatively younger by experience. But at the same time, I am happy to see that the sector also has a lot of space left for improvement and its potential in terms of development for the university,” he answered. //CANapiloy