The UPLB College of Human Ecology welcomed officers and representatives of the Society for Human Ecology (SHE) on June 10-13, 2026 to strengthen their partnership and engagement in preparation for the 2027 International Society for Human Ecology Conference (SHE Conference) slated for June 2027.
The 27th SHE Conference in 2027 will be organized in conjunction with the 4th International Conference for Human Settlements Planning and Development. This international gathering will bring together scholars, practitioners, and advocates of human ecology and human settlements and planning from around the world.
As part of the groundwork for the 2027 conference, SHE officers and CHE officials held a planning workshop to discuss potential themes, program components, schedule, and partnerships.
Among the major highlights of the visit was the courtesy call with UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. on June 10. The meeting included discussions on scaling up global partnerships in human ecology through faculty-student exchanges, graduate education, collaborative instruction, and research collaboration.
Chancellor Camacho expressed his support for the formation of the Philippine Human Ecology consortium and for scaling up human ecology education through graduate programs and public service initiatives.
On June 11, CHE hosted the hybrid forum, “CHE Conversations: Re-imagining Human Ecology,” together with SHE officers from the College of Atlantic, the Australian National University, Cornell University, and the University of Mons. The former deans of the college, Dr. Percy E. Sajise, Dr. Francisco P. Fellizar and Dr. Sue Liza C. Saguiguit graced the forum and shared their experiences in advocating for human ecology and their reflections on its future.
The forum also hosted in-depth conversations among CHE faculty and staff, SHE, and the broader community regarding the value, challenges, and future direction of human ecology education, research, and practice.
In the afternoon of June 11, the SHE officers attended the session on Human Ecology in Eco-nutrition. CHE Dean Jennifer Marie S. Amparo, together with the deans of Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), discussed human ecology education for food and nutrition security in Southeast Asia. Dr. Nancy Wells, a distinguished human ecologist from Cornell University, also shared insights on urban design and nutrition.
In addition to these activities, CHE prepared for the conference by meeting with SM Prime and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
CHE held an exploratory meeting with SM Prime to discuss potential partnerships, identify venues, and determine strategic collaborations to advance the conference’s sustainability agenda.
CHE also paid a courtesy call and held an exploratory meeting with SEARCA officers Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, senior program head for Education and Collective Learning, and Dr. Nova A. Ramos, head of Training for Development. They reviewed the initial collaborative outputs of SHE, CHE, and SEARCA for a ‘Seed Fund for Research and Training’ project on the human ecology of food and nutrition security, as well as the 2017 SHE Conference. They also discussed strengthening human ecology education in Southeast Asia with other SEARCA member institutions, such as UPM and IPB, through joint seminars, webinars, and other opportunities.
Beyond the formal meetings, the visiting delegates experienced the country’s rich cultural and natural heritage through a historical tour of Taal, Batangas.
With preparations now underway, UPLB and the Society for Human Ecology look forward to welcoming scholars and practitioners from across the globe in 2027 for what promises to be a landmark gathering for the international human ecology community.
CHE previously hosted the SHE Conference in 2017, the first to be held in Southeast Asia. It was attended by more than 200 international and local conference participants.