On the occasion of the Mindanao Book Exhibit, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University launches its maiden issue of a multidisciplinary journal called Asia Mindanaw: Dialogue on Peace and Development on February 18, 2014 at 8:30 AM at the CDCH, Eusebio Salvador SJ campus, La Purisima Street, Zamboanga City.
The Asia Mindanaw journal seeks to offer an avenue for fresh scholarship linking Mindanao to the rest of Asia and beyond. It is also timely that Asia Mindanaw’s main objective resonates with the direction of the journal publications in the Philippines. This direction is also the main reason that a roundtable discussion sponsored by and held at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines Diliman commenced last February 10, 2014. The discussion centered on the present state of academic journal publication in the Philippines with emphasis on publication experiences, issues, prospects and reflections. Some of the significant issues rest on the culture of writing and research in the Philippines and the dynamics of ISI publication standards vis-a-vis local academic needs and responses. Fr. Albert E. Alejo, SJ, editor of the Asia Mindanaw, and one of the speakers in the said roundtable, shared significant reflections on the positioning of our critique to more established publication standards by privileging the Mindanao publication struggles and success.
Around forty editors from all over the Philippines spent some time in group reflection and ended the roundtable with some proposals in improving the state of journal publication in the Philippines. This whole day meeting entitled “Turning the Page: Re-examining Standards in Academic Journal Publication” was an occasion for the Asia Mindanaw to be in the network of journals and editors in the Philippines. In general, the gathering provided the Asia Mindanaw editor, Fr. Albert E. Alejo, SJ, and Associate editor Robert Panaguiton, who attended the said event, some orientation and context from which the Asia Mindanaw can thrive in Zamboanga City and become responsive to the social consciousness of the public especially the Zamboangueños in forging a peaceful and progressive Mindanao.
