This year’s LEAP SEA offering has 12 participants from six SEAMEO member countries Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines and Timor Leste. They include two university heads (a rector and a president), one agriculture faculty dean and one vice dean, and eight heads of programs, departments or institutes, offices and a satellite campus in their respective universities.
LEAP SEA aims to provide these academic executives with (1) new knowledge about leadership and management of higher education, especially those in agriculture, through their interaction with experts and eminent academic leaders; (2) an opportunity to reflect on their common contemporary challenges and suggest appropriate solutions in higher education leadership/management in Southeast Asia; and (3) a chance to write LEAP SEA cases as knowledge and learning resources appropriate for Southeast Asia.
Expected outputs of the forum are as follows: (1) a cadre and network of highly competent academic leaders in Southeast Asia; (2) case stories highlighting reflections and replicable practices on academic leadership in tertiary and postgraduate academic institutions in agriculture, forestry, and environmental studies in the context of Southeast Asian realities and challenges; and (3) list of potential synergies among such institutions.
Resource persons for this offering of LEAP SEA include Dr. Paul S. Teng, Senior Fellow and Adviser to the Food Security Programme of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and SEARCA Senior Fellow; Ms. Astri Wahyuni, External Affairs Manager, PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk and Vice Secretary General of Gabungan Pengusaha Makanan dan Minuman Indonesia (GAPMMI, Indonesian Food and Beverage Association); Dr. Cely S. Binoya, Professor of Central Bicol State University of Agriculture in the Philippines and President of Asia Pacific Association of Educators in Agriculture and Environment (APEAEN); Dr. Virginia R. Cardenas, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration and Regional Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services Network (APIRAS) of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), at which she is also Steering Committee Member; Prof. Dr. Hendrawan Soetanto, Professor and Advisory Deputy of Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of UB; Prof. Dr. Ratya Anindita, Professor and Director for Regional Development and Public Service Center, UB Faculty of Agriculture; and Prof. Dr. M. Aman Wirakartukusumah, Rector, Universitas Siswa Bangsa Internasional, Indonesia. Dr. Binoya is the Technical Coordinator of the fourth and fifth LEAP SEA Executive Fora.
The opening program of the forum featured a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and Memorandum of Agreement between SEARCA and UB, the former represented by Dr. Cardenas and the latter, by its Rector, Prof. Dr. Yogi Sugito.
The forum was held until 25 January 2014. (Nova A. Ramos)
