UPOU DSus student Herbert Nalupa with the two awards he received at the 8th Asia Future Conference in Japan.
Herbert Nalupa, a student in the Doctor in Sustainability (DSus) program at UP Open University (UPOU), achieved double recognition at the 8th Asia Future Conference (AFC8) by winning both the Best Paper Award and the Best Presentation Award. The conference was held in Sendai City, Japan from 25 t0 29 August 2026.
Alongside his doctoral studies, Nalupa balances his public service duties as the Maritime Education and Training Standards Supervisor (METSS) and Concurrent Chief of the Monitoring Division at the STCW Office, Maritime Industry Authority.
His award-winning study, titled “Out of Sight Not Out of Mind: Distances and Spaces in the Life of Seafarers,” delves into the unseen realities and precarious conditions experienced by seafarers. The paper advocates for greater recognition, protection, and promotion of seafaring as an indispensable component of global trade and sustainable development. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, the study explores how months at sea produce physical, emotional, and social separation from families and communities across three themes: Crossing: Tracing journeys across oceans, cultures, and communication barriers; Closing: Examining how technology, welfare support, and emotional resilience bridge physical and emotional gaps; and Creating: Highlighting how seafarers forge connections, identities, and communities within maritime spaces.
In an email interview, Nalupa shared that his connection with UPOU dates back to 1997, when he served as a student assistant at the UPOU Learning Center in Baguio. “Although work and personal responsibilities delayed my plans, I eventually found my path through the DSus program,” he said.
He selected the program because its focus on real-world sustainability resonated with his government work, emphasizing, “DSus is not simply a degree; it is an opportunity to transform knowledge into meaningful action for the industry and for the country.”
“I chose UPOU because I wanted a doctoral program that would strengthen my academic foundation while allowing me to remain engaged with my professional responsibilities,” he explained.
Nalupa exemplifies the impact of flexible higher education for working professionals. UPOU’s flexible distance learning framework allows him to upskill and strengthen his academic foundation without stepping away from his public service duties. By connecting rigorous coursework directly to real-world industry challenges, the program gives him the tools and confidence to transform academic research into practical, meaningful action for government service and the maritime sector.
Mr. Nalupa presents his paper titled “Out of Sight Not Out of Mind- Distances and Spaces in the Life of Seafarers,” at AFC8 in Japan.
His participation in the AFC8 conference stemmed from a lecture by Prof. Ferdinand Maquito, Jr., in SUS 304 (Managing Sustainability Transitions), one of the core courses offered under the DSus program. Intrigued by the theme, Nalupa took the opportunity and shared that preparing the paper required “plenty of reading, writing, revising, and questioning” of his ideas. In the end, he shared the fulfillment he felt from the experience. “The experience was rewarding because it allowed me to share my work, learn from others, and connect classroom lessons with real-world sustainability conversations.”
Reflecting on his double award win, Nalupa admitted that the recognition came as a surprise. “Winning both the Best Paper and Best Presentation Awards felt surreal,” he said. “As a DSus student, I’ve become quite familiar with reading, writing, revising, and overthinking if my research has a mind of its own! So, having the work recognized for both its substance and presentation was a profound affirmation of the research and the journey behind it.”
For Nalupa, the recognition prompted more future research studies rather than a final destination. “More than the awards themselves, I saw them as an appreciation that the questions we pursue and the ideas we develop can contribute to meaningful conversations. It was a proud moment, but it is also a reminder that recognition is not the finish line; it is inspiration to keep asking better questions and doing more meaningful studies,” he expressed.
Mr. Nalupa with Prof. Ferdinand Maquito, Jr., of the DSus program and Ms. Noreen Alazada from UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies.
Nalupa credits UPOU’s flexible yet rigorous framework with providing the confidence to connect academic coursework with real-world industry challenges. “UPOU gave me more than academic knowledge. Being in the DSus program gave me the confidence to turn ideas into meaningful research,” Nalupa noted. He also highlighted the importance of the academic community throughout his journey. “The support of my professors and fellow students also reminded me that while research work can sometimes feel like a solitary journey, it is never truly an exploration taken alone.”
The 8th Asia Future Conference (AFC8) is an international, interdisciplinary academic conference organized by the Sekiguchi Global Research Association (SGRA) of the Atsumi International Foundation. Held biannually in different Asian cities, the conference provides an exchange for researchers and global citizens to address transnational issues across national and disciplinary boundaries. The theme for AFC8 was “Space and Distance ~ Crossing, Closing, Creating ~”. AFC8 was held in person at Tohoku Gakuin University (Itsutsubashi Campus) in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
UPOU faculty and staff members also presented papers at AFC8, including Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Chancellor, UPOU; Dr. Finaflor Taylan, Dean, Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS); Prof. Ferdinand Maquito, Jr., Senior Lecturer for the DSus program; and Ms. Noreen Alazada, Research staff at FMDS, who also won the Best Paper Award.
