On 9 February 2018, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) faculty and staff presented researches on gender and sustainable development at the 1st Japan Philippines Student Summit Project (JPSS) held in International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo, Japan.

The forum was organized by UPOU and the JPSS Project Team led by Dr. Allen Kim, Associate Professor of Sociology at the International Christian University.

The Gender, Sustainability, and Indigenous Traditions in the Philippines: A Japan-Philippines Student’s Summit Pre-trip Forum was formally opened by Prof. Allen Kim followed by a short introduction of speakers from UP Open University and participating students from International Christian University (ICU). The paper presentations consisted of the following topics related to Gender and Environmental

• Gender and Sustainable Development: The Ifugao Perspectives by Dr. Joane Serrano
• The Role of Women in the Palawan Woodcarving Tradition of the Philippines by Dr. Consuelo Habito
• Women and Preservation of Traditional Agricultural Knowledge: Experiences in Ifugao, Philippines by Asst. Prof. Aurora Lacaste, Prof. Joane V. Serrano, Noreen Dianne S. Alazada, Paula Grace Muyco
• Ifugao Youths’ Views on Ifugao Rice Terraces and their Roles in the Conservation by Luisa Gelisan

The event is the first collaborative activity between UPOU and the JPSS Project.