Gay Marie Francisco

Gay Marie Manalo Francisco (GM Francisco) completed her doctoral studies in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland (UoA), New Zealand, as a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholar. She also finished her Master of Public Policy at UoA as a New Zealand ASEAN scholar. Her current research interests include women’s representation, informal institutions, and transnational relations.

She has worked in the private sector handling corporate communication and corporate affairs. She also worked in the academe as Vice President for Administration of a tertiary institution in the Philippines, where she had the opportunity to develop student programs and establish scholarships and career and placement services units. She has also been involved in various nonprofits. She was executive director of the Muntinlupa Development Foundation, which helps urban poor communities. She was also the director of communication for the Bato Balani Foundation, which aims to help uplift the quality of education in the Philippines.

Currently, she runs a blog: postgradbestie.com, where she shares her experiences about her postgraduate study journey.