THE HEAD of the UST Communication department has been appointed to the International Science Council’s (ISC) steering group for its social science program, which seeks to boost the field’s visibility in crafting national policies for sustainable development.
Prof. Joyce Arriola is among the 18 scholars from various countries selected to guide the ISC Social Science Matters Programme, which will run until October 2026, according to the timeline on the program’s website.
“Thanks to the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Governing Board for nominating me as its representative to this worthy endeavor,” Arriola said in a Facebook post on Thursday, Oct. 30.
The steering group is tasked with overseeing the program’s implementation, namely, identifying challenges in social science research for sustainable development and providing evidence-based policy recommendations.
It will also ensure the promotion of the project through fundraising, publication of findings and encouraging collaboration among the ISC members.
Arriola, the former chair of the UST Literature department, was elected head of the NRCP Humanities Division in 2023 for a two-year term.
The NRCP is an advisory body under the Department of Science and Technology, serving as the Philippines’ link to international scientific and academic organizations, including the ISC.
She is also part of the Research Center for Theology, Religious Studies and Ethics and a former director of the Research Center for Culture, Arts, and Humanities at UST.
The professor has earned numerous recognitions over the years, such as the NRCP Achievement Award in the Humanities in 2018 and the UST Graduate School Outstanding Alumni Award in 2014. She was also conferred the Teodoro F. Valencia Professional Chair in Journalism in 2021.
Arriola completed her studies in Literature at UST, earning her bachelor’s in 1988, master’s and doctorate in 1995 and 2003, respectively. She later pursued advanced studies in Communication at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, with a major in Journalism for her master’s in 1998 and doctorate in 2013.
Arriola will work with group co-chairs ISC governing board member Uruguayan Karina Batthyány and Prof. Craig Calhoun from the United States (US); ISC governing board member Maria Paradiso from Italy; ISC Vice-President for Finance Sawako Shirahase from Japan; Prof. Anna Davies from Ireland; Prof. Joyeeta Gupta from the Netherlands; Elizabeth Jelin from Argentina; Assoc. Prof. Awanish Kumar from India; Prof. Ricardo Santillán from Mexico, Saui’a Milo from Oceania; Prof. Rongping MU from China; Ioana Roxana Podina from Romania; Prof. Norma Romm from South Africa; Seteney Shami from Jordan, Yvonne Underhill-Sem from New Zealand; Prof. Kithaka wa Mberia from Kenya; and Asspc. Prof. Laura Zimmermann from the US.
Established in 2018, ISC is a non-governmental organization based in France that brings together over 200 scientific unions, academies, and research councils worldwide. F
