Yap outlines 3 central goals for university in first major address

Reimagine. Transform. Commit.

These three words summarize the message of Fr Roberto "Bobby" Yap SJ to the Ateneo de Manila community in his virtual address on Thursday, 1 October 2020.

The address, broadcast online on the University's YouTube channel, was Yap's first major university-wide speech since he became the 31st University President last 1 August 2020.

"I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say this is not what we expected our school year would be," referring to Ateneo's fully online school year.

Speaking from the Rizal Mini-Theater, Yap outlined "three central goals" that will guide Ateneo in the coming years as he leads the institution through a "world full of volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous situations."

"Three central goals will be key to our response to this call - goals that embody our distinct values, character, and heritage; goals that build upon the work we have already done and fueled by an insatiable quest for discovery and innovation; and goals that will empower us to face tomorrow."

Resilience, rootedness, engagement

The first goal is a "Resilient University," which he defined as being able to "adapt and thrive in the circumstances we are in, in order to fulfill our mission without compromising on quality and excellence."

It also calls for Ateneo for "proper long-term planning and investment in our campuses and physical assets; better handling of our financial resources; taking good care of our name, institutional image, and brand; and most important, taking good care of our people."

"Our ultimate aim under this particular goal is for Ateneo to become prepared for whatever the future of learning holds, and for the institution to fulfill its educational mission more effectively by ensuring that it has more than sufficient resources to do so in the years to come"

Second, Yap said that Ateneo will further deepen its "rootedness to our values, and to our unique identity as a Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit institution."

"We will further our commitment in integrating learning, faith, and service in our programs and partnerships that engage our students, faculty, staff, University leadership, and alumni in the understanding and practice of our Ignatian identity, values, and commitments," he said.

Lastly, he sees Ateneo as increasing its engagement with the nation and the world.

"The call to go "down the hill" has never been more important, never been more critical, never been more needed," he said.

"Everything we do in our University - teaching, research, formation, engagement - should be directed to be in the service of the faith, in the service of others, in the promotion of justice and understanding, and in the caring for creation, our common home," he added.

Call to unity

Anchored to and guided by Ateneo's core purpose as a Jesuit university - "participating in the Society of Jesus's mission of reconciliation and justice" - the entire University community, Yap said, is "being called to work together to ensure Ateneo will continue to fulfill its educational mission."

The address is a unique event, a special address that formally introduces Yap to the community while a formal investiture ceremony is not yet possible due to the pandemic.

"This is... not how I thought I would get to know you: me, speaking to the camera, while all of you tune in online," he said at the start of his speech.

However, he said that a formal investiture will still occur "sometime in the near future - that is, once the pandemic has subsided."

The address was preceded by a Eucharistic Celebration at the Immaculate Conception Chapel of the Church of the Gesu, which also marked the start of the Month of the Holy Rosary, and a flag-raising ceremony at Xavier Hall.

Fr Bienvenido Nebres SJ, Ateneo president from 1993 to 2011, was the main celebrant of the mass, while Yap and Fr Jose Ramon Villarin SJ, president from 2011 to 2020, were concelebrants.