Cagayan State University has begun the process of developing a more coherent and futures-oriented University Research and Extension Agenda through the Futures Research Agenda Workshop: Futures Thinking Towards Sustainable Development with the ACACIA-ASCENT Framework, which opened today, September 15.

Conducted in partnership with the Philippine Futures Thinking Society (PhilFutures), the workshop is being implemented through online sessions on September 15–16, followed by face-to-face engagements on September 24–25.

This activity equips Cagayan State University stakeholders with anticipatory skills to analyze trends, plan for future scenarios, and integrate foresight into academic, research, and institutional strategies.

Welcoming the participants, CSU Officer-in-Charge University President Dr. Arthur G. Ibañez said the workshop reflects the University’s responsibility to prepare for the future while remaining responsive to present needs.

Dr. Ibañez recognized the strengths already established by CSU across its nine campuses, including its distinct research and extension niches, institutional partnerships, expertise, facilities, and accumulated experiences.

He stressed, however, the need to connect these strengths, examine supporting evidence, identify gaps, and develop a shared direction for the University’s research and extension work.

The process will also align the efforts of Cagayan State University with CHED’s ACHIEVE Agenda, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and AmBisyon Natin 2040.

The workshop’s expected outputs include strategic research and extension clusters, ACACIA-tested priorities, a candidate CSU Research and Extension Agenda, an emerging University Research and Extension Agenda, research-to-impact pathways, and institutional commitments for implementation.

Cagayan State University and PhilFutures have been institutional partners since signing a Memorandum of Agreement in 2022. This year’s collaboration focuses on integrating futures thinking courses, capacity-building programs, and the ACACIA Framework into CSU’s institutional structure.