Bienvenido Nebres
Encyclopedia
Father Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. is a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....

 scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...

, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....

, and Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 who was the longest-serving university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

 of the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...

. He succeeded Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas
Joaquin G. Bernas
Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., J.S.D. is a Jesuit and is Dean Emeritus of Ateneo Law School in Makati City, Philippines. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission which drafted the present Philippine Constitution....

, S.J. in 1993, and served as University President until 1 June 2011. He currently sits as a member of the board of trustees of Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

, Regis University
Regis University
Regis University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic, Jesuit university in the United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1877, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...

, the Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...

 (where he sits as Vice-Chair), and other colleges and universities in the Philippines. He is also a member of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

 of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company
The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company commonly known as PLDT, is the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines. PLDT is also the largest company in the Philippines, ranked 1138th in the April 2009 update, and 1080th in the April 2010 update, of Forbes' Global 2000 list...

, and is currently chairman of the Synergia Foundation. He was also Provincial Superior
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...

 of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

.

Nebres served as the Ateneo's university president for more than 18 years. His term was extended for him to lead the Ateneo through the completion of key initiatives as well as its sesquicentennial celebration, and was again extended until June 1, 2011, after which he was succeeded by Fr. Jose Ramon T. Villarin, S.J.
Jose Ramon Villarin
Father Jose Ramon T. Villarin, S.J., known as "Fr. Jett" by his students and fellow colleagues, is a Filipino Jesuit priest and scientist, who currently serves as university president of the Ateneo de Manila University. On June 29, 2010, he was elected to succeed Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, S.J. as...

 as the Ateneo's university president.

Since his return to the Philippines in 1970 after graduate studies abroad, Nebres has worked on three major areas: teaching and development of mathematics and science in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia; administration in the university and in the Jesuit Order; and leadership in the socio-political concerns of the Philippines during the years of martial law and in the early years of democratic restoration. In the 1990s, he also became more involved in the business world, particularly in the relationships between universities and business and technology.

Early life and education

Bienvenido Nebres was born in Baguio City
Baguio City
The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...

 on March 15, 1940 and grew up in Bacnotan in La Union
La Unión
La Union or La Unión may refer to:-Colombia:*La Unión, Antioquia*La Unión, Nariño*La Unión, Sucre*La Unión, Valle del Cauca-Peru:*La Unión Province, Peru...

, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. He studied at the Bacnotan Elementary School, and then moved to Christ the King College in San Fernando, La Union. His vocation to the priesthood came early, and soon enough he found himself at the Vigan
Vigan City
The City of Vigan is a 5th class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur...

 seminary in Ilocos Sur. He finished high school at the San Jose Seminary, and then moved to the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches.

He did his early studies in classics and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

, completing his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree in 1962 and his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 degree. in 1963, both in Philosophy, at the Jesuit Scholasticate, Berchmans College in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...

, Philippines. He attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

 in California 1965-70, wherein he completed his Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...

 and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

 in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

.

Teaching, development of mathematics and science in Southeast Asia

Nebres was founding President of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines in 1972. He was one of the founding officers of the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society (SEAMS) also in 1972. The SEAMS has continued activities among the Southeast Asian nations by supporting graduate programs, research, and mathematics education. Nebres was President of the SEAMS 1977-78 during its period of consolidating its network.

Nebres was also one of the founders of the Consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....

 of the leading universities in Manila to develop Ph.D. programs in mathematics, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

 and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

. The Consortium has succeeded in developing a critical mass of scientists in these areas, has developed extensive links with scientists abroad (particularly in Australia and Japan), and is now the core of a large network of schools in the Philippines (more than 110 high schools as well as over 30 colleges and universities) which are supported by the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology
Department of Science and Technology
Department of Science and Technology could refer to:*Department of Science and Technology *Department of Science and Technology *Department of Science and Technology...

 as the leadership group for improving science and engineering education in the country.

From 1992 to 1998, Nebres was Chairman of the Project Advisory Group for a World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

- and OECF-financed Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 and Science Education Project of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology. From 1994 to 1998, he directed a team for the Philippine Department of Education on the development of education plans to strengthen elementary and secondary education in the poorest provinces of the country. He has served as Chair of the Technical Panel on Science and Mathematics of the Commission on Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education (Philippines)
The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, , abbreviated as CHED. The CHED is attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes...

 (CHED) since its inception and also chairs the CHED Technical Working Group for faculty development.

As a Jesuit

Nebres was Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...

 of the School of Arts and Sciences of the Ateneo de Manila 1973 to 1980. He was also Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 of the Loyola House of Studies from 1980 to 1982. From 1983 to 1989, he served as Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in the Philippines. Fr. Nebres was also President of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan
Xavier University (Cagayan de Oro)
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan is a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Society of Jesus in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.It was founded on June 7, 1933 as the Ateneo de Cagayan by an American Jesuit missionary, Fr. James T.G. Hayes, S.J., who later became the first Archbishop of...

 in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...

 1990 to 1993. He was President of the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...

, and was its longest-serving university president.

His main concerns apart from the normal duties of a university president are the strengthening of basic education and of science and technology in the Philippines. He currently leads the Ateneo through several key initiatives, such as: basic education development through the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) and the Ateneo Center for English Language Teaching (ACELT), among other Ateneo initiatives; public health development through the Ateneo's Leaders for Health Program as well as the establishment of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health
Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health
The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health or ASMPH is the medical school of Ateneo de Manila University, a private, Roman Catholic university of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines....

; housing and social development through leadership in initiatives such as Gawad Kalinga
Gawad Kalinga
Gawad Kalinga , which means to "give care" in Filipino, is officially known as the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, a Philippine-based poverty alleviation and nation-building movement....

 and Kalinga Luzon, where he is one of the key leaders; and leadership and good governance.

On July 28, 2008, Nebres celebrated his 52nd year as a Jesuit.

Society and politics

Nebres also worked to establish the Center for Community Services and the first conscientization and politicalization programs of the Ateneo de Manila in the 1970s. The students from these programs have become major contributors to social development in the Philippines. He also helped in the political programs of various parties and groups during the years of forming alternatives to the Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...

 martial law regime. As Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in the Philippines from 1983 to 1989, much of his work was to support and coordinate efforts on the part of the Church in the years prior to and immediately after the People Power Revolution in 1986. In 2006, Nebres merged the Center for Community Services with the Ateneo School of Government
Ateneo School of Government
The Ateneo School of Government or ASoG is the graduate school of public affairs of the Ateneo de Manila University, a private, Roman Catholic university established by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines.-History:...

.

Chair, Presidential Task Force on Education

On September 4, 2007, the Presidential Task Force on Education under the Office of the President
Office of the President
Office of the President can refer to:* the Executive Office of the President of the United States* the Office of the President of Croatia* the Office of the President of Kenya* the Office of the President of Uganda...

 named Nebres, chairman. Nebres will be joined by 4 others—Angeles University Foundation President Emmanuel Angeles, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Donald Dy, Asian Institute of Management
Asian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...

 Professor Victor Limlingan, and former University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...

 president Jose Abueva
José Abueva
Dr. José Veloso Abueva is former president of the University of the Philippines. A Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee for political science in 1962, he has devoted much of his career in academic circles...

. The 5 with Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Romulo Neri
Romulo Neri
Romulo Neri is a Filipino politician and former Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority , acting secretary of Department of Budget and Management , chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education and President of Social Security System under former President Gloria...

, and Augusto Syjuco, complete the task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...

. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...

 signed Executive Order 635 on August 24 creating a presidential task force to assess, plan and monitor the entire educational system.

Frontline Leadership

On December 5, 2007, Bienvenido Nebres launced “Frontline Leadership,” a book project of the Ateneo School of Government (sponsored by German foundation Konrad Adenauer Stiftung) was written by several authors. He stated: “I look forward to the future when the next President of the Philippines does not come from the Senate but from [the ranks of] mayors or governors; I do hope that a next generation of leaders will emerge and see local leadership as the wave of the future.” The book narrates the performances of 4 former local officials, an unnamed female governor in the Visayas and one incumbent: Naga Mayor and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Jesse Robredo, former San Fernando, La Union Mayor Mary Jane Ortega, former Bulacan Gov. Josie de la Cruz, and former Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers.

In business

Nebres sits on the boards of several companies as an independent director, most notably that of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company
The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company commonly known as PLDT, is the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines. PLDT is also the largest company in the Philippines, ranked 1138th in the April 2009 update, and 1080th in the April 2010 update, of Forbes' Global 2000 list...

 or PLDT, where he has been a member since 1998.

Recognition

  • In 1981, Nebres was conferred the Ordre de Palmes Academique for his contributions to the Philippine-French exchange especially in the field of mathematics by the French Republic.
  • In 1992, he received an Honorary
    Honorary degree
    An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...

     Doctor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines
    University of the Philippines
    The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...

     for his work in promoting science and technology in the country. He was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Science
    Doctor of Science
    Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...

     degree by De La Salle University
    De La Salle University
    De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...

     for his work in science and science education in 2004.
  • In 1999, Nebres was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame of the Asian Activities Center of Stanford University “for his distinguished accomplishments and outstanding contributions to our community and society.”
  • In 2001, Nebres was accorded the rank of Officer in the National Order of Merit of the French Republic (Officier de L'Ordre National du Mérite
    Ordre National du Mérite
    The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...

    ). The decoration recognises his valuable "contribution to the development of scientific knowledge and education in the Philippines as well as his dedication to the promotion of relations between French and Philippine universities." The award was conferred by decree of the President of the French Republic
    President of the French Republic
    The President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....

     upon the recommendation of the French Foreign Minister.


Nebres is also an honorary member of Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...

.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on June 15, 2008, stated that "Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...

 president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres will be formally honored as among the DOST's
Department of Science and Technology (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Science and Technology , abbreviated as the DOST, is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the coordination of science and technology-related projects in the Philippines and to formulate policies and projects in the fields of science...

"50 Men and Women of Science" July to September; the DOST Citation for Nebres described him as an "education icon," having reconciled the fields of science and religion with his work."
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