The Philippines will soon be represented a review body that would set the science education policy of an international organization for the next seven years.

This came as the Deliang Chen, Executive Director of International Council for Science (ICSU) — an international non-governmental organization devoted to international co-operation in the advancement of science — said the organization has confirmed the nomination of Science Education Institute Director Dr. Ester B. Ogena by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) to ICSU’s review panel.

The Philippines is the only ASEAN member country to join the panel.

In a letter to Ogena, Chen said the panel would be meeting twice a year starting next year in Paris to start its deliberation on the policy directions on science education.

Chen said that the strategic review would include an assessment of ICSU’s past and current activities in relation to science education, a consideration of the broader context of science education and a recommendation on the future mandate for ICSU on science education.

The review panel will be chaired by Dr. Roberta Johnson, the executive director of the National Earth Science Teachers Association in the United States.

ICSU, formerly called the International Council of Scientific Unions, was founded in 1931 whose members include national scientific bodies, and international scientific unions, including the International Mathematical Union, the International Astronomical Union, and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

ICSU was founded to bring together natural scientists in international scientific endeavors.