BAGCON 2025 gathers global leaders to discuss inclusive transformative future societies

International leaders from the fields of industry, technology, education, and culture convened for the Brother Andrew Gonzalez FSC Academia-Industry Conference (BAGCON) 2025, a two-day convention held at SPACE, One Ayala, from Nov. 12 to 13.

With the theme “New Imaginings: Designing Future Societies,” the conference provided a platform for policy makers, creatives, educators, and students to discuss actionable solutions to pressing global challenges. The event emphasized the need for collaboration and innovation in shaping inclusive and values-driven communities.

This year’s BAGCON was organized by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) through its School of New Media Arts; School of Arts, Culture, and Performance; and School of Environment and Design, in partnership with the School of Management and Information Technology — Game Design and Development Program.

The conference was established in honor of Brother Andrew Gonzalez FSC, an esteemed educator, linguist, and institution builder recognized for his contributions to academic excellence and education reform.

Day 1 comprised lectures by Professor Mona Nasser, director of Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR) Faculty of Health; and filmmaker and architect Liam Young, coordinator of the MS Fiction and Entertainment Program of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and founder of Tomorrow’s Thoughts Today think tank.

Likewise included were video game technology expert Julien Merceron, worldwide chief technology officer of BANDAI NAMCO Studios, Inc., as well as writer, artist, and cultural theorist Ashok Mathur, vice-president of Research and dean of the School of Graduate Studies of the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University.

Completing the roster were Dr. Ching-Ju Cheng, supervisor of Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies, and award-winning journalist Horacio “Howie” Severino, co-founder of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and former vice-president of GMA Network.

Day 2 featured a talk by cultural policy expert, civil society advocate, and arts educator Audrey Wong, program leader of the MA Arts and Cultural Leadership of LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore.

Also lined up was a plenary block with Jos Ortega, chairman and CEO of Havas Ortega Group and managing partner of HAVAS Red Philippines; arts and cultural manager and museum professional Rica Estrada Uson, officer-in-charge of the Visual Arts and Museum Division of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP); Lilian G. Salonga, director of the Bureau of Competitive Development of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); and Maria Rita “Rhea” Matute, executive director of the DTI-Design Center of the Philippines.

“In these challenging times, when our society is confronted with deep uncertainties and urgent questions about the future, BAGCON becomes more than a conference — it is a call to action,” Benilde SNMA Dean Sharon Mapa Arriola said.

“BAGCON offers a vital space for the academe to raise its collective voice, to challenge the status quo, and to imagine new possibilities for our communities,” she added. “At the close of the gathering, we will not only have shared insights, but will also craft a resolution — a living commitment from each participant to be part of the solution.”