Francisco Nemenzo Jr.

Francisco Alfafara Nemenzo Jr. (9 February 1935 – 19 December 2024) was a Filipino political scientist, educator, and activist who served as the 18th president of the University of the Philippines (UP) from 1999 to 2005. He had previously served as chancellor of UP Visayas, UP Faculty Regent, and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences of UP Diliman.

A prominent Marxist figure in the Philippine academe, he was a professor emeritus of political science at UP Diliman and taught courses in political philosophy and Philippine government. He also helped form several political coalitions such as Bukluran sa Ikauunlad ng Sosyalistang Isip at Gawa (BISIG), Akbayan, and Laban ng Masa.

Nemenzo was from a family of scholars, academics, and educators. His father, Francisco Sr., was a marine zoologist known as the "father of Philippine coral taxonomy".

Career Early political activity Nemenzo was a member of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP; ), a separate organization from the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Administrative experience Prior to becoming UP President, Nemenzo served as chancellor of the University of the Philippines Visayas and as a member of the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the University, representing the faculty. He was also dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, which was split into three academic units: College of Science (CS), College of Social Sciences & Philosophy (CSSP), and the College of Arts & Letters (CAL).

University presidency Nemenzo was elected UP president against prominent competitors such as former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, former minister of economic planning Gerardo Sicat, and public administration pioneer and sociologist Ledivina V. Cariño. He succeeded Emil Q. Javier. An appointee of President Joseph Estrada, Nemenzo was criticized in the university for not supporting the Second EDSA Revolution that overthrew Estrada in 2001.

His term was notable for the institutionalization of the Revised General Education Program (RGEP), comparable to the general education program of Harvard University and other American educational institutions, seeking to provide a holistic development of students through a free choice system of selecting courses in three divisions (Arts & Humanities, Social Science & Philosophy, and Mathematics, Science & Technology) to fit each student's intellectual pursuits. However, a comprehensive review of the program was initiated, linking the introduction of the RGEP to the grade inflation phenomenon. It led to a synthesis of the old general education program and the RGEP which has been adopted by the University since 2012.

In 2005, he stepped down as the University's highest official and was replaced by Emerlinda Roman of the College of Business Administration.

Personal life Family Nemenzo's father, Francisco Sr., was a marine zoologist referred to as the "father of Philippine coral taxonomy" and has served as dean of UP Diliman's College of Arts and Sciences. His mother, Catalina Alfafara, served as senior librarian at the UP Diliman library. They have three children: mathematician Fidel named after Fidel Castro, physician Leonid, and preschool teacher Lian. During his undergraduate years, he joined the Pan Xenia Fraternity. He then obtained a Ph.D. in political history from the University of Manchester in 1965.

Selected publications