Dr. Trinidad S. Osteria

The Yuchengco Center (YC) was jointly established by Brother Andrew Gonzalez, former president of De La Salle University (DLSU); Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco, chairman of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, former Presidential Adviser on Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador to China and to Japan, and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations; and Dr. Wilfrido Villacorta, DLSU professor and former ASEAN Deputy Secretary General.

It was inaugurated on August 29, 1994 as the 'Yuchengco Institute of Philippines-Japan Relations.' In 1997, the Board of Trustees renamed it 'Yuchengco Center for East Asia' to reflect the expansion of its concerns to Northeast and Southeast Asia. In 2002, the Board shortened its name to 'Yuchengco Center' to signify a shift towards a broader perspective that is more issue-oriented and policy-focused.

Institutional Goals

The Center's institutional goals are:

1. Enhancement of its leadership in policy advocacy through researches, conferences, publications, trainings and other activities that deal with social, economic and political issues in the country and the Asian region;
2. Expansion of the thematic areas by taking a proactive stance in addressing timely and emerging policy concerns;
3. Establishment of interactive connections with national and international agencies that can strengthen the Center's role as a think tank for information dissemination and utilization; and
4. Compilation and consolidation of research reports, distillation and dissemination of the policy implications of the Center's researches and publications to delineate its contribution to knowledge, policy and program development.

Thematic Areas

• Globalization
• Regional security and foreign relations
• Governance and democratization
• Human security, particularly health and education

Activities

• Research
• Conference and seminar organization
• Publication
• Program and project evaluation
• Capacity-building for educators, planners and policymakers