The University of the Philippines, through the U.P. Law Center, has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Philippine government’s primary socioeconomic policy think tank, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. A signing ceremony was held on 2 October 2019, at Malcolm Hall, with Dean Fides Cordero Tan and Prof. JJ Disini representing the Law Center, and PIDS President Dr. Celia Reyes and Senior Research Fellow Ramonette Serafica representing the Institute. Dean Cordero Tan welcomed the forthcoming partnership and extended the College of Law’s willingness to provide the necessary academic support for the projects under the MOA.

The MOA was executed following discussions between PIDS and the Technology, Law and Policy Program of the Law Center on potential collaborative efforts on legal issues concerning technology and economic policy, such as financial technology, cybersecurity, and the increasing digital transformation of government services. The MOA paves the way for joint projects that tap the respective policy expertise of the Law Center in legal questions and the Institute in socioeconomic matters.

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies was established as a national research institution that performs policy-oriented research on all aspects of the Philippine economy and assists the government in formulating plans and policies for national development. The U.P. Law Center was created by law to undertake technical studies and research in law. The Law Center in 2018 established the Technology, Law and Policy Program headed by Prof. JJ Disini to address legal and policy issues arising from the evolution and increased adoption of technology by society and government.