Cambodia and Malaysia have recently appointed the new Country Representatives to the SEARCA Governing Board (GB).
The GB is SEARCA's highest policymaking body. It is composed of representatives from each of the 11 member countries of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) who are nominated by their respective Ministers of Education and appointed by the SEAMEO Council President.
The new SEARCA GB members are Mr. Ty Channa, Director, Department of Personnel and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Cambodia, and Prof. Dato' Dr. Zulkifli Idrus, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Their appointment is for three years.
Mr. Ty Channa (Photo courtesy of SATNET Asia)
Prof. Dato' Dr. Zulkifli Idrus (Photo courtesy of Universiti Putra Malaysia)
Mr. Ty Channa succeeded Dr. Seng Mom, Vice Rector, Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), Cambodia. On the other hand, Prof. Dato' Dr. Zulkifli Idrus succeeded Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris, who was the UPM Vice-Chancellor during her term as SEARCA GB member.
The SEARCA GB is currently chaired by Prof. Dr. Chew Fook Tim, the Country Representative of Singapore who is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Vice Dean, Undergraduate Education and Student Life, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore.
The other Country Representatives to the SEARCA GB are:
- Mr. Norjemee Jenek, IBTE Satellite Principal and Special Level Education Officer, Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE), Brunei Darussalam;
- Prof. Dr. Ocky Karna Radjasa, Director of Research and Community Services, Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education, Indonesia;
- Dr. Somphong Chanthavong, Acting Dean of Agriculture and Environment, Savannakhet University, Lao PDR;
- Dr. Ye Tint Tun, Director General, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar;
- Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., Chancellor, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines;
- Dr. Sutkhet Nakasathien, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Thailand; and
- Dr. Acacio Cardoso Amaral, President, Instituto Politécnico de Betano Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Timor-Leste.
Currently, Vietnam has not appointed its Country Representative to succeed Dr. Tran Van Dien, Rector of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, whose term ended on 21 August 2020.
Dr. Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, SEAMEO Director, and Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, are ex officio members of the SEARCA GB.
The 68th SEARCA GB Meeting is set on 28-29 September 2020. It will be the first time that the annual meeting will be held virtually via an online platform.