The Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) of SEARCA will conduct the 3rd GSID Conversations on 27 May 2022 (Friday), 10:00 a.m. (GMT +8:00) for SEARCA Scholars and Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) Grantees.
The Center continues to foster the professional and academic development of scholars and grantees as they are poised to become the future leaders of agriculture and rural development in the region. Embedded in the scholarship package offered by SEARCA are the annual customized training programs targeted to build the scholars' capacity for communication, research, and facilitate the completion of their graduation requirements. In addition, Special Graduate Seminars conducted every semester support the scholars' academic milestones and recognize their capacity to produce quality research that has a great impact in fields related to agriculture.
The GSID Conversations, launched on 16 April 2021, was conceptualized to create a dialogue between scholars and industry professionals and share the latter's experience and insight on pressing issues that affect society. The upcoming GSID Conversations on Navigating Delays and Disruptions during Postgraduate Studies was organized as SEARCA recognizes the importance of focusing on the students' well-being as they experience another shift in their academic studies with the transition to the new normal.
The pandemic has affected postgraduate students around the world, and while some are trying their best to stay on track, others have accepted the fact that they might not graduate as scheduled. Disruptions, such as the pandemic, shift our lives daily and are a huge factor in the delay of the student's completion of their requirements for graduation. Entering Graduate School has its own unique set of pressures, be it from academic requirements, financial limitations, physical, mental, and emotional demands, or societal and familial expectations. Adding to these pressures are disruptions which may lead to losing motivation among the students to finish their degrees.
It is impossible to go through postgraduate studies without any hurdles and students will continuously face disruptions even after graduation. The upcoming GSID Conversations exclusively for SEARCA scholars and grantees will discuss how to mitigate the impact of delays and disruptions during their studies with Dr. Ng Siew Imm, Associate Professor at the School of Business and Economics and Associate Editor of the International Journal of Economics and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia providing her expert advice. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ng Siew Imm's research interests include cross-cultural studies, consumer behaviors, personal values, well-being, and sustainability. She was also a resource speaker at UPM's Graduate on Time Seminar where she shared her experience in completing her graduate studies and provided tips on how she encourages her students to graduate as scheduled.