About the ISRDS

History

Before becoming an Institute for Strategic Research and Development Studies on January 1, 2002, it was popularly known as the Center for Social Research in Small Farmer Development (CSR). CSR was established on September 5, 1981 by virtue of Board of Trustees Resolution No. 50.

The CSR grew out of the experiences of the Community Extension Service (CES) which started in 1975 as a Social Laboratory to carry out the extension activities and other community-based projects of the Visayas State College of Agriculture now Visayas State University. In 1980, the CES was renamed as Extension Research and Development Division or ERDD when the College extension program expanded. One year later, ERDD became the Center for Social Research in Small Farmer Development which is now named The Institute for Strategic Research and Development Studies.

Vision

A technically and socially competent and empowered human resource, who, as a community, is able to transform and equitably share in the benefits of a modern Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector from a resource-based to a technology-based, globally competitive, and sustainable industry.

Mission

To effectively transform rural institutions required in agriculture and rural modernization through high quality and relevant human resource development, research, and extension.

Goals

• Foster redistributive justice and advance socio-economic equity by enhancing equal access to and control of local resources and services through strategic research, extension and development, and high quality and relevant higher educatio
• Identify and cultivate institutional capacities for efficient rural development management through human resource improvement and provision of credible data as bases for sound decision-making.
• Promote critical sociopolitical and economic analyses to achieve positive transformation for lasting development.
• Stimulate people power development as a potent force in shaping, mobilizing, and carrying out democratic local decision-making processes through effective implementation ofinstruction, research, and extension

Objectives

• Conduct strategic research and policy studies in rural development.
• Develop new extension methods in mobilizing rural communities.
• Develop high quality human resources needed for agriculture and fisheries modernization.