ASOG welcomes new students in the Master in Public Management Energy Transitions Track

The Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) in August 2021 accepted 18 applicants into the Master in Public Management Energy Transitions track (MPM-ET), the Philippines’ pioneering track on Energy Policy, joining the other students of the MPM-ET track who began their Masteral journey in January 2021.

The new students of the Energy Transitions track kicked off the first term of the 18-month MPM program last August 28, 2021 through synchronous sessions in their respective core MPM courses that center on ethical leadership and public governance. The said enrollees vary from managers to staff, belonging to the energy sector across national government agencies, local government units, non-governmental organizations, and the private energy sector. 

All MPM students initially take the ASOG MPM core courses in the first three terms of their Masteral journey. In their fourth term, they begin their specialization in the energy track with two Energy Transitions courses. Among the six energy electives in the said Energy Transitions track are: 

• Comparative Policy in Energy Transitions, developed and to be taught by former Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Dr. Francisco Viray, PhD; 
• Business of Energy, developed and to be taught by  Former National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) Chairperson Atty. Pedro Maniego, Jr., JD; 
• Energy Governance and Management, developed and to be taught by former NREB Chairperson Atty. Monalisa Dimalanta, JD; and 
• Energy Innovations and the Environment, developed and to be taught by former DENR Undersecretary Antonio La Viña, JSD.  

The Development of the Track

The MPM-ET was developed by the ASoG, under the nationwide project Access for Sustainable Energy Programme-Clean Energy Living Laboratories (ASEP-CELLs), funded by the European Union (EU). The EU-funded, 3-year project is implemented by the ASoG, who also serves as the Luzon Clean Energy Living Laboratory (Luzon CELL). Together with the project partners, Manila Observatory, ICLEI-SEAS, Xavier University, and University of San Carlos, ASEP-CELLs aims to support the DOE and the EU in achieving 100% rural electrification through renewable energy, rural electrification and wider energy access, and promoting energy efficiency towards sustainable and inclusive growth.

The Luzon CELL, especially the MPM Energy Transitions track, contributes to the knowledge management and capacity-building components of the project.

Ateneo’s Commitment to Sustainable Stewardship of the Earth

Besides being produced through the ASEP-CELLs project, the MPM Energy Transitions track is also in line with the commitment of the Ateneo de Manila University towards sustainability.

In the 3rd Ateneo Sustainability Report headed by the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability, former Ateneo President Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ highlighted the mission of Ateneo that is to form “persons who can lead communities and institutions with courage and compassion to a more sustainable future.” This corresponds to the 4th of the Society of Jesus’s Universal Apostolic Preferences: Caring for Our Common Home, through which the Jesuits aim to pursue collaborations with institutions that share concern for the protection and renewal of God’s creation. At the same time, the Jesuits’ 4th Apostolic Preference is linked to Pope Francis’ call to care for earth as our common home, when he declared climate change as a global problem in his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’.

The MPM-ET resonates with these calls for sustainability and protection of the environment, as the track aims for the professional and academic development of policy analysts, public managers, and civil society advocates.  The formation of leaders and the development of a cadre of reform allies in the energy sector is a vital component in the long-run mission of transitioning into more sustainable and equitable energy systems, which in turn feed into various national and global sustainability targets.

Online Learning

As public health concerns continue to render on-site and face-to-face classes risky, ASoG’s classes remain online, on the AteneoBlueCloud. AteneoBlueCloud is the philosophy, principles, and framework of the Ateneo de Manila University for effective online learning.  The main framework of instruction is called Adaptive Design for Learning (ADL), which focuses on five key principles: adaptability (to the students’ contexts and conditions); active and interactive learning; 3Cs of learning--content, coach, and community; asynchronous learning; and modularity. To facilitate online learning and teaching, faculty and students make use of the Zoom platform for synchronous sessions and the university-wide learning management system, Canvas, for asynchronous activities.

Current ASoG MPM-ET students are expected to complete their degree by March 2023.  ASoG is open to engagements with institutional partners who may be interested in sending representatives of their organizations to the program. The Academic team may be reached via email: academic.asog@ateneo.edu.

For more information on the ASOG MPM Energy Transitions track, please visit bit.ly/ASOGEnergyTrack2021.