APNTS held its very first APNTS Ph. D. Colloquium last February 24, 2020. The purposes of the program are to provide a platform for the studies and new knowledge APNTS students produce and to enliven the research culture at the seminary. The event was attended by the seminary’s faculty and students from the master’s level and doctoral level. Dr. Theresa Roco-Lua, General Secretary of the Asian Theological Association, also graced the said event.
Two studies were presented that afternoon, and both were the dissertations of the newly minted Ph.D. graduates, Dr. Evelyn Pajaron and Dr. Roseline Olumbe. To kick off the presentations, Dr. Pajaron shared on her research entitled, “A Mixed-Methods Filipino Parenting Education Project Towards Evidence-Based Practice.” This was followed by Dr. Olumbe’s presentation of her dissertation, “The Effects of Children’s Political Awareness, Affiliation, and Participation on Interpersonal Relationships in Multi-Ethnic Kenya.” After the studies were presented, Marie Pring, APNTS Director of Research, discussed about the APNTS Institutional Review Board—the body of multi-disciplinarian experts who acts to ensure that the theses and dissertations produced by students and faculty in the seminary follow essential ethical guidelines.
The APNTS Ph.D. Colloquium 2020 was the first among the many academic conferences that will happen in the coming years at the seminary. Special thanks go to Dr. Dick Eugenio who spearheaded the idea for the colloquium, to Dr. Nativity Petallar and Marie Pring who organized the event, and to the members of the Academic Committee of the APNTS Student Council who helped in the logistics.
