17/09/2026
: Silliman University (SU), through the Department of History and Political Science, will hold the ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) establishing the Ambassador MacArthur Corsino Lecture Award in Political Science and International Relations on September 21, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at the Robert B. and Metta J. Silliman Library.
The initiative recognizes Ambassador Dr. MacArthur F. Corsino, a Silliman alumnus and Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee, for his contributions to diplomacy, public service, and education. Corsino served as Philippine Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cuba, with concurrent jurisdiction over Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. At Silliman, he served as director of the Southeast Asian Studies Program, mentored students in history and political science, and later chaired the Foreign Affairs Program of the School of Public Affairs and Governance.
The lecture award is envisioned as an annual platform for scholars in political science and its subdisciplines, including public policy, political theory, comparative politics, and international politics and relations. It aims to encourage academic discourse, enrich the University's Political Science program, and provide students and faculty with exposure to current research in the discipline.
Emerging political scientists, researchers, and instructors based in the Philippines may be considered for the award through nomination or invitation. The selection will give particular consideration to scholars engaged in field research, including those still building their formal publication credentials.
The awardee will be invited to Silliman University to deliver a lecture based on recent research or publication. The initiative will be supported by an endowment fund, with fundraising efforts involving Corsino's family, former colleagues and students, friends, and institutional partners. The fund is intended to sustain the annual lecture and recognize Corsino's longstanding commitment to intellectual inquiry and public service.