Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand 
why the old poets of China went so far
and high 
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Photo: Godofredo Ramizo, Jr.


The UP Asian center welcomes visiting research fellow Godofredo Ramizo Jr in October 2017. He is a doctoral candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), the University of Oxford. The Oxford Internet Institute is a leading figure among very few research centers dedicated to the social science of the Internet and digital technologies. With the support of the Asian Center, Godo will gather data for his dissertation entitled “Ride Apps in Southeast Asia’s Gridlocked Cities.” His research will conduct a timely investigation on the socio-political implications of ride sharing technologies (Uber, Grab and GoJek) in Southeast Asian megacities such as Manila and Jakarta. He hopes to contribute to the contentious policy debates regarding the role of ride hailing technologies in Southeast Asia.

Godo is a recipient of the Clarendon Scholarship, Oxford’s most prestigious postgraduate scholarship awarded to the top 3% of selected candidates across all academic disciplines. Prior to Oxford, Godo finished a Masters in Governance and Public Policy with High Distinction and a Dean’s Commendation at the University of Queensland, with the support of the Australian Endeavour Scholarship.  He also completed a Masters in International Development Management with Distinction at the University of Westminster in London, through the Westminster Scholarship. He graduated summa cum laude at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2010 under a full scholarship. View his full profile 


The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences