FSI Highlights Maritime Programs at Philippine Ocean Decade Initiatives Expo
PASAY CITY 22 October 2024 - On 30 September 2024, Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Director General Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III presented the Institute’s maritime programs at the Philippine Ocean Decade Initiatives Expo organized by UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay.
Fernandez emphasized FSI’s steadfast commitment to enhancing the Philippines’ maritime and archipelagic identity through a range of new research and training programs. He noted that the Blue Economy Studies Section and the West Philippine Sea Studies Section were established under FSI’s Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) to conduct research on maritime diplomacy and other maritime-linked issues and support and promote the Philippine position as a blue economy-focused nation.
To further capacitate the Philippine foreign service corps, he highlighted the launch of the FSI Law of the Sea Academy, the Maritime Diplomacy Course, and the Science Diplomacy Course, recognizing the critical interplay between science and law and their application to foreign policy.
He underscored FSI’s dedication to fostering collaboration between academics and policymakers as a key aspect of the Institute’s advocacy to promote and integrate science diplomacy. Through ongoing partnerships with various educational institutions, the Institute seeks to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and effective policy-making, ultimately promoting a deeper understanding of maritime issues.
The Foreign Service Institute is the training and research office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which was created under Presidential Decree No. 1060 and whose remit was expanded under Republic Act No. 7157.
The FSI Board is chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, with the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Director General of FSI, President of the University of the Philippines (UP), and the President of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) as members. END