SEARCA News

The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) will hold its 33rd Executive Board Meeting on 24-25 November 2020 online and it will be hosted by Kasetsart University (KU) in Bangkok, Thailand. The UC was established in 1989 to share resources and collaborate on student and faculty exchanges among leading agricultural universities. The consortium is anticipating the virtual attendance of representatives from its regular members, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and Universitas Brawijaya (UB). Also invited to the board meeting… Read more

The Economy and Environment Group Philippines (EEG Philippines), a program of the Resource and Environmental Economics Foundation of the Philippines (REAP) Incorporated, together with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), will hold the 1st National Conference on Health, Environment and Economic Development: The Road to Recovery and Resiliency (HEED the 3Rs) from 19 to 20 November 2020 via Zoom online platform. The conference aims to gather researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other representatives from disciplines of health, environment, economics, and other related fields and discuss the latest progress and developments in areas related to… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Brussels-based Impact Licensing Initiative (ILI) formalized a joint commitment to help small farming communities through the local integration of sub-licensed  technology—such as cold chain—for better post-harvest processes and market access. SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio and ILI General Manager Johan Moyersoen, represented by ILI Executive Board Member Bruno Vandermeulen, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on institutional partnership through a virtual ceremony on 7 October 2020. Dr. Gregorio said “Accelerating transformation through agricultural innovation or ATTAIN is the essence of SEARCA’s 11th Five-year Plan. By… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Resource and Environmental Economics Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (REAP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for institutional cooperation on 7 October 2020 at SEARCA Headquarters. Under the MOU, SEARCA and REAP committed to collaborate on a number of activities for five years, including programs, projects, and other related activities to education, training and research in agriculture and environmental science. REAP is an organization duly recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Republic of the Philippines, and the legal entity of the Economy… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted a Stakeholders Forum on 28 October 2020 to gather experts and thought leaders from the academe, industry, and government to weigh in on the status of agricultural and rural development (ARD) in Southeast Asia and define a forward-looking and transformative ARD in the region from various perspectives. “Through the years, we have been conducting numerous projects, programs, and policy formations, but one thing that keeps us going is how we can sustain all these activities. Upon closer introspection, it is important to emphasize that the nature… Read more

The deadline for young Filipino innovators to register for the Innovation Olympics 2.0, an “agri hackathon” to develop innovative solutions for the farming sector, has been extended until 17 November 2020 because of typhoon Rolly. The Innovation Olympics 2.0 is made possible by the partnership of East-West Seed with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Sensient Colors LLC, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), UPLB-Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (UPLB-TTBDO), UPLB Startup Innovation and Business Opportunity Linkaging Labs (SIBOL Labs), and APEX: The UPLB Business Network. The organizers have also dropped… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Batangas State University (BatStateU) on 8 October 2020 via an online platform. The MOU between SEARCA and BatStateU is a five-year collaboration in the areas of education, training, and research with special focus on innovative agritechnologies, agribusiness incubation, and technology transfer. The MOU signatories were Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, and Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo, BatStateU President. Dr. Gregorio said “Partnership is our number one priority in SEARCA’s 11th Five Year Plan and we would like to engage and… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Learning Links Academy of Santa Rosa, Inc. on 8 October 2020 to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among K-12 students. Signing the MOU in a virtual ceremony were Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, and Ma. Luisa C. Castro, Learning Links Directress. Dr. Gregorio said “It is important that agripreneurship and an appreciation for agricultural endeavors are integrated in all education levels even as early as kindergarten. Youth engagement in agriculture and rural development is a priority of SEARCA’s 11th Five-Year… Read more

Continuing its commitment in improving access to unbiased science-based information, SEARCA in collaboration with the United States Embassy Manila and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) conducted the SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagement (SOLVE) webinar on the "Unrealized Potential of Animal Biotechnology" on 7 October 2020 via Zoom and Facebook As Filipino scientists direct their efforts towards animal biotechnology, the webinar presented an opportunity to share timely and credible information on the subject and dispel common misconceptions that affect the progress of maximizing its potential for improving countless lives especially those engaged in the agricultural sector.   The webinar… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted an online seminar on 13 October 2020 to promote the enhancement of calamansi products and enterprise development in Oriental Mindoro. With the theme “Waste Utilization and Product Development Opportunities in Calamansi”, the seminar aimed to enable the participants to have a good grasp of the calamansi processing industry and the opportunities and challenges it presents and to recommend interventions and strategies for potential calamansi products and enterprises. Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, SEARCA’s Program Head for Research and Thought Leadership welcomed the participants, which included farmer-leaders, processors… Read more