UP Manila Dean Recognized as HRAF Global Scholar for 2026
UP Manila Dean Recognized as HRAF Global Scholar for 2026
Dr. Ma Teresa Guanzon De Guzman, Dean and Professor of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the Philippines Manila, has been recognized as a 2026 HRAF Global Scholar in acknowledgment of her significant contributions to research on Indigenous Peoples, cultural heritage, and ethnolinguistics.
As dean, Dr. De Guzman leads a diverse academic community engaged in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, promoting interdisciplinary and socially responsive research that advances cultural understanding and national development. Her work aligns closely with the mission of the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF), particularly through the use of the eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology databases, which provide valuable ethnographic and comparative data for anthropology, behavioral sciences, and planetary health programs.
Dr. De Guzman highlights the importance of equitable access to academic resources, noting that many students at UP Manila—especially those from underprivileged backgrounds—face financial barriers to subscription-based databases. Access to eHRAF resources would help bridge this gap by supporting courses such as Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, Forensic Behavioral Sciences, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, enabling students to contextualize Philippine ethnographic studies within global perspectives.
Currently, her research explores the intersections of indigenous knowledge, planetary health, and forensic anthropology. She emphasizes that broader institutional access to eHRAF would democratize learning and empower students and faculty to participate more actively in the global academic community while fulfilling the university’s public service mandate of making knowledge inclusive and accessible.
The Human Relations Area Files organization honored Dr. De Guzman as one of its HRAF Global Scholars for 2026, recognizing her ongoing efforts to advance interdisciplinary scholarship and culturally grounded research.