Research Centers

Cebuano Studies Center

The Cebuano Studies Center is a center of research on all aspects of Cebuano culture. It functions as (1) a special library to house source materials pertaining to Cebu, as well as the predominantly Cebuano-speaking areas in the country; (2) a research center devoted to studies pertaining to Cebu in the area of the humanities and social sciences; and (3) a special office assisting in the promotion of Cebuano culture and the arts.

Conceived by Fr. Joseph Goertz in 1972 in response to the growing demand for researches in local history and vernacular literature, the Cebuano Studies Center was established in 1975 under Resil B. Mojares as its first director. The Center has built up an unrivaled collection of materials related to Cebuano culture and society including books, serials, microforms, photographs, musical scores, manuscripts, and audio-visuals. Its book collection includes 19th-century linguistic and religious works in Spanish and Cebuano, while bound volumes of Bag-ong Kusog (1915-1941) and Progress (1928-1934) are part of its periodical collection.

For more information, contact Hope Yu at +63-32-406-4079.

Center for Geoinformatics and Environmental Solutions

Established as the successor of the USC Phil-LiDAR Research Center, the Center for Geoinformatics and Environmental Solutions (CenGES) is a multi-disciplinary research center that focuses on geosciences, geo-engineering, and the environment. The Center is composed of researchers from the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. The predecessor Phil-LiDAR 1 and 2 programs were funded by the Department of Science and Technology to conduct flood hazard mapping and detailed natural resources inventory, respectively, through light detection and ranging (LiDAR). State-of-the-art computing laboratories and mapping capabilities remain with the CenGES located at the upper ground floor of the Fr. Josef Baumgartner Learning Resource Center in Talamban Campus.

For more information, contact Roland Emerito Otadoy.

Center for Governance, Leadership and Development

Launched in 2012, the Center for Governance, Leadership and Development (C-GoD Lead) is the training, extension, and research arm of the Department of Political Science, which advocates pro-people governance, leadership, and development by engaging with communities and promoting evidence-based decision-making practices.

For more information, contact Grace Magalzo-Bualat at +63-32-401-2300 local 158.

Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technologies

The Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technologies (CREST) is a multi-disciplinary research center that engages in basic and applied researches to solve current and potential problems in energy systems and alternative energy production. The Center aims to develop sustainable technology-based energy solutions appropriate to local Philippine contexts.

For more information, contact Luzvisminda Bellotindos.

Center for Social Research and Education

Established in 2014, the Center for Social Research and Education (CSRE) was established by faculty members from the Department of Anthropology, Sociology and History who are actively engaged in research and community extension. As a research center of the School of Arts and Sciences, the CSRE is tasked to build linkages with both government and non-government organizations. Researchers are engaged in ground realities and are often involved in intervention initiatives in various communities, translating actual practice into relevant curricular programs.

For more information, contact Fiscalina Nolasco at +63-32-230-0100 local 140 or 141.

DOST-USC Tuklas Lunas Development Center

The Tuklas Lunas Development Center (TLDC) is home to multi-disciplinary researches targeting the identification of bioactive metabolites found in herbal medicines used by traditional healers. Initially composed of researchers from the Departments of Anthropology, Sociology and History (responsible for ethnobotanical surveys), Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, the center was designated as one of several TLDCs in the country by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with accumulated grants of almost PHP50M up to December 2019.

For more information, contact Patrick John Lim at +63-32-230-0100 local 157 or 214.

Office of Population Studies

The Office of Population Studies (OPS) has established itself as one of the three major demographic research centers in the Philippines involved in research and training concerning population studies with focus on health and environment.

Two internationally-recognized projects conducted by the OPS are the 34-year Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition survey and the Longitudinal Evaluation Study of the Philippine Early Childhood Development project. The former project is jointly undertaken by the OPS and the Carolina Population Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Active collaborations exist with the OPS and government agencies including the Philippine Statistics Authority, Commission on Population, Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. External grants come from a number of sources including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations Development Program, Family Health International, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

For more information, please contact Judith Rafaela Borja ([email protected]) at +63-32-346-0102.

Water Resources Center

Founded in 1975 by Fr. Herman van Engelen as the Hydrological Research Training Unit to investigate saltwater intrusion into the groundwater of Cebu City and Mandaue City, the Water Resources Center has provided significant baseline information from a survey of nearly 5,000 wells in the two cities and an inventory of all available topographic and geological maps and hydrogeological data. The WRC collaborates with government and non-government organizations and has received funding from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), German Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Ford Foundation, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM).

For more information, contact Maria A. Jumao-as at +63-32-416-0927, +63-32-344-0523 or +63 32 346 7941.