Homo Luzonensis Lecture Launch Program to Promote PH Studies at Humboldt University
From left: International Department Director Britta Baron, Humboldt University (HU) Professor Dr. Vincent Houben, UP Professor Armand Mijares, HU Filipino Associate Professor Dr. Rosa Cordillera Castillo, and Ambassador to Germany Ma. Theresa Dizon-de Vega. (Berlin PE photo)
BERLIN 06 August 2019 — A lecture on Homo luzonensis, the newly discovered hominid species in the Philippines, was held at Humboldt University (HU) on 29 July, marking the launch of a joint Philippine Embassy in Berlin-HU program to promote Philippine Studies.
The lecture, organized with the support of the Embassy, University of the Philippines (UP) Alumni Association-Germany, and Philippine Studies Berlin, was delivered by UP Professor Armand Mijares, the Filipino scientist behind the recent discovery of Homo luzonensis.
According to Professor Mijares, the discovery adds a new member to the genus Homo, which present-day humans are part of. Along with archeological discoveries in other countries in the region, Homo luzonensis, which is estimated to be between 50,000 to 67,000 years old, makes Southeast Asia “an important evolutionary region.”
In her remarks during the event, Ambassador to Germany Ma. Theresa Dizon-de Vega said that the program’s launch is a “proud moment for the Philippines.” It coincides with the 250th birth anniversary of German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, one of two namesakes of HU, as well as the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany.
The Ambassador also highlighted the long history of academic/scientific exchange between the two countries, which goes all the way back to Dr. Jose Rizal’s visit to Germany in the late 19th century. The Philippine national hero referred to Germany as his “scientific mother country”, where he engaged in various intellectual pursuits, even becoming the only Asian member of the Berlin Anthropological Society.
To this day, items donated by Dr. Rizal, such as fabrics and other cultural items, form part of the Berlin Ethnological Museum’s extensive collection of artifacts from various parts of the world.
International Department Director Britta Baron stressed HU’s commitment to the world, adding that “the Philippines is a very special, very remarkable part” of the University’s academic agenda. She expressed appreciation to the Philippine Government “for its dedication in fostering Philippine Studies”.
The program to promote Philippine Studies at HU is funded by a PhP5 million Philippine Government grant made possible through the initiative of then Senator and now Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Its implementation is being overseen by Dr. Rosa Cordillera Castillo, a Filipino associate professor at HU and active Philippine Studies advocate, under the auspices of the Institute of Asian and African Studies, headed by Professor Dr. Vincent Houben.
The joint Embassy-HU program is composed of a series of projects to be implemented within a three-year period, which include academic conferences, Filipino language courses, lectures, and other similar activities. END
Left photo: Ambassador Dizon-de Vega (right) and Professor Mijares. Right photo: A 3D-printed mockup of the remains of Homo luzonensis. (Berlin PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.berlinpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.de or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGermany.