SLSU Pres Presents ICMAR 2025 Overview, Calls for Transformative Research to Advance SDG

Dr. Jude A. Duarte, University President of Southern Leyte State University and Chair of Visayas Mindanao Consortium for Journal Publications, Inc. (VMCJPI) Board of Directors, presented the overview of the conference on behalf of the consortium during the in-person segment of the 2025 International Conference on Methodological Advances in Research (ICMAR).

The 2025 International Conference on Methodological Advances in Research (ICMAR) officially opened its in-person segment on September 17, 2025, at Biliran Province State University. A day earlier, on September 16, the conference launched with its first round of online sessions, featuring 197 paper presentations; 99 in the morning and 98 in the afternoon, drawing together academics, researchers, and partners in a hybrid format.

The paper presentations fall under four key strands: social sustainability, inclusive development, sustainable economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Over the four-day event, participants will engage in plenary talks, paper presentations, and interactive sessions aimed at translating research into concrete actions.

Dr. Duarte said this year’s theme, “Innovative Pathways: Advancing SDGs through Transformative Research Methods,” reflects a collective mission to align scholarly work with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“As we meet here, midway into the 2030 Agenda, the urgency to act and accelerate progress has never been greater,” he noted, citing persistent global challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and health crises.

“These issues demand not just traditional approaches, but fresh, creative, and transformative research methods,” he added, emphasizing the urgency of using innovative research methods to tackle today’s most pressing global challenges.

Dr. Duarte also highlighted in his address that the conference serves as a “crucible of ideas” where academic rigor meets the demands of practice.

The event was graced by Hon. Gretchen Stephanie M. Espina, Mayor of Naval; keynote speaker Dr. Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III; and plenary speakers Dr. Ehatasham Ul Hoque Eiten and Dr. Tahsina Yasmin from Daffodil International University. Special recognition was also given to SUC presidents, including Dr. Jude A. Duarte, Dr. Victor C. Cañezo Jr. of Biliran Province State University, Dr. Redentor S. Palencia of Samar State University, and Dr. Gil Nicetas B. Villarino of Leyte Normal University.

As ICMAR 2025 unfolds, it promises to be more than an academic gathering; it is a venue where research meets real-world challenges.