Philippine Studies Immersion Program 2020

The Loyola Schools of the Ateneo de Manila University, under the Ateneo Philippine Studies Initiative, is inviting undergraduate students from all fields of study to its summer immersion and study program. Scheduled for the intersession semester months of June and July 2020, the summer immersion program is designed to introduce foreign and local students to the practice of Philippine studies and to the Filipino lifeworld.

Through this program, students will be given the opportunity to engage the university’s eminent Philippine Studies scholars in classes that will demonstrate the various possibilities of this area of study and the methodologies of its practitioners. These classes will also allow students to immerse themselves in a particular aspect of the Philippine lifeworld in order to provide an experiential ground for their reflections and insights. Students of this program will be exposed both to intellectual and experiential learning opportunities which will serve as an invitation to engage in the work of Philippine Studies.

There are four tracks that students can choose from, depending on their own interests. Each of these tracks offers 6 units/credits. 

The Ateneo Social and Cultural Laboratory
(Program dates to follow)

The first track is the Social and Cultural Laboratory, a four-week program on the study of sociocultural issues, including the conservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of particular Philippine districts, towns or cities. Here, students will investigate different life-worlds and social and cultural landscapes using qualitative research methods and pursue options for disseminating and utilizing research results. Such options include, but not limited to, documentation of local history, places, and practices, and providing technical assistance to cultural enterprises and local government units. The first week of the cultural laboratory is dedicated to classroom work that will prepare students to creatively and meaningfully realize their field research and immersion.

The Ateneo Development Field School
June 15 to July 10, 2020

The second track, the Ateneo Development Field School (ADFS) is an exciting opportunity for students to engage communities. The goal is to assess current needs and design feasible interventions that improve quality of life. ADFS began in 2015 and has since successfully partnered with different sectors including indigenous peoples, fisher folk, and coffee farmers. ADFS is a concrete and rewarding opportunity for students to meaningfully contribute to social development through research. Mentors, who are development experts, accompany students throughout the course. A major component is the fieldwork, conducted in a setting that highlights the year’s theme.

In 2020, ADFS turns its attention to humanitarian action. Through classroom lectures, discussions, and exercises, students will first learn fundamental concepts and principles of community organizing and humanitarian action, as well as the participatory research skills and methods relevant to producing the research output needed by the community. Guided by mentors, students will then get to apply these lessons in the context of a community. They are expected to use their skills to identify various challenges and opportunities, in view of enhancing the community’s access to resources. This year ADFS will work with a disaster-stricken community. By the end of the month-long course, students are expected to have processed and analyzed their data in partnership with the community and translated them into meaningful recommendations guided by principles of inclusive development.

The Philippine Start-up Culture
June 10 to July 22, 2020

The third track focuses on developing an idea into a business model and product or service prototype. In doing so, the student will learn about the Philippine business start-up culture and Philippine buying behaviors, enterprise etiquette, and business negotiations in order to develop good business relationships. This 6-unit, 4-week course will begin with lectures on the Filipino way of doing business, followed by exposure to the Business Acceleration program of the school, ending with developing a prototype, for a close-up look at Philippine business in action.

Filipino Urbanities
June 29 to July 10, 2020

This fourth track presents the student with an interdisciplinary framework for studying the city. From a philosophical, sociological, historical, development, and literary perspective, students study Philippine cities and their situatedness in the global order. They study the emergence of the Philippine cities, their development, their lifeworld, and the people’s responses to this. Aside from classroom work, students are given periodic tours of the Metro Manila to immerse in its various worlds and urbanities.

For more information, download the PSIP Fact Sheet here.

To inquire, email inbound.oir@ateneo.edu.