Social Change (ESSC)
Centres of Competence
After more than ten years of struggling with environmental changes, the winds of institutional change has drawn enough response to Jesuit involvement in the sciences of observation, social analysis, and cultural concern to establish an environmental institute to develop science for social change. This has provided the basis for responding to concerns of environmental management, resource ecology, social ecology and environmental mapping, thereby seeking greater social justice for marginalised communities living in the uplands of Asia. Pro-active research teams have evolved whose science is socially accountable to the communities and organisations seeking assistance. Methodologies being developed are both scientific and culturally sound so they remain rooted in the lives of those served.
In order to sustain a firm understanding of socio-cultural and
bio-physical dynamics in each specific context, researchers are
trained to relate disciplinary skills from cartography, anthropology,
biology, agriculture, computer science, hydrology, geomorphology,
climatology, ecology, forestry, sociology, engineering and
economics. A long term commitment is made with the view to
building interdisciplinary teams, including studies which strengthen
collaboration with a number of universities and institutes in Asia,
Europe and America. Interaction with and responsibility to
communities and local government are valued as essential tools for
growth. Skills in policy dialogue and writing are also part of
this process of responding to the scientific competence greatly
needed in Asia.
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The address of the institute is: |