De La Salle University - Manila

Vision

Social Development Research Center shares in De La Salle University's commitment to achieving lasting and significant improvements in the lives of Filipinos, as well as of the peoples in the Asia-Pacific region. In pursuit of this commitment, the Center engages in research and capacity-building activities that contribute to efforts in navigating the way to improved quality of life and social development, specially among the economically disadvantaged, underserved, and marginalized populations.

Thus, the Center is gearing itself towards the forefront of policy-making, advocacy initiatives, and program crafting along social and human development issues and concerns. The Center is committed to the highest standards of research and training in furtherance of the University's mission to advance learning and knowledge.

Mission and Goals

SDRC contributes to efforts in finding opportunities for and ways of resolving the pressing conditions that affect quality of life and development among the peoples of the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region. SDRC has the mission of (1) serving as a hub in the Philippines and in the Asia-Pacific region for research and advocacy on the quality of the nation's growth, and of (2) forming a bridge between the academic community on the one hand and the society and community that it is serving on the other.

Consistent with this, its mission objectives are:

• To provide analyses of socio-cultural and economic issues to support efforts in advocating, crafting, and fine-tuning plans and policies for sustained social development and improved quality of life in the Asia-Pacific region. Research is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and thematic;
• To build, disseminate, and use knowledge about ways of effecting and sustaining quality growth and social development;
• To establish connections between policy makers, program planners, and organizational and community leaders on the one hand and the academic community on the other;
• To organize and participate in networking activities among institutions and organizations performing similar or related research and capacity-building activities;
• To help build capacities among peoples, local leaders, and communities.