The Silliman University Board of Trustees, meeting en banc in Dumaguete City Saturday, has selected Dr. Ben Malayang III as the 12th university president, to replace Dr. Agustin Pulido whose term ends on March 26.

Malayang, 52, emerged as the choice from a field of 16 nominees, after a rigorous selection process which took almost one year.

Malayang, a member of the SU High School Class of 1970, graduated BA Philosophy from the University of the Philippines, MA Philosophy of Science and Ethics from Ohio University, MA in International Affairs from Ohio University, and Ph.D. in Wildland Resource Science from the University of California.

He is presently a Professor of Environmental Science and Management at the University of the Philippines' School of Environmental Science and Management and consultant of the United Nations Development Program. He is considered an international authority on environmental management.

Malayang was also formerly the Undersecretary for Environment and Research, then later for Field Operations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. His expertise includes environmental governance and multilateral environmental agreements, political ecology (focus on forest and water resources and biodiversity) and biosafety.

Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones, chairperson of the SU Board of Trustees, said Malayang got the required two-thirds vote of the Trustees during their December 19 meeting in Manila. "While the Securities and Exchange Commission only requires the selection of a president by a simple majority, the trustees felt that it was necessary for the new president to get at least 2/3 of the votes so he could be assured of strong support from the Board," Briones said.

Briones said the Board decided to adopt a different process in the selection of a University President, from the previous practice of leaving the job to a selection committee.

"This method of selecting a president as a committee-of-the-whole, was open and allowed the community a chance to participate in the process," Briones said.

SU Trustee Felipe Antonio Remollo said the Board's confirmation of Malayang's election was unanimous.

During a convocation at Silliman last November, Malayang had outlined his program for the University in the event that he is selected president. He said he would work to attain the mission and vision of the university as outlined in SUMMA, or the Silliman University Mobilization for Mission Action.

This target, which was formulated in the 1980s, sees Silliman as a leading Christian institution of learning in the Philippines and in Asia, pursuing a triad of functions of teaching, research and extension, and which has a clear program of academic thrusts and development priorities that seek to add to Silliman's strength from where it is already strong.

Malayang said that to achieve SUMMA, there has to be collective governance in Silliman. Collaborative programs among academic units in the university should also be widened. The university should also get aggressive on building partnerships with others.*AP

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