SEARCA News

MAKATI CITY, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research and Agriculture (SEARCA) will be hosting a parallel session entitled, Regional Implications of the Philippine Rice Tariffication Law, during the Inaugural Rice Research Symposium organized by the The Rice Trader (TRT) to be held on 13 November 2019 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. The Research Symposium is part of the TRT's 11th World Rice Conference. Republic Act 11203, otherwise known as the Rice Tariffication Law, has recently been passed in the Philippines with the purpose of lifting existing quantitative import restrictions on rice. With the current influx… Read more

SEARCA scholars, Mr. Prasetyo Nugroho and Ms. Wannasiri Wannasupchue, participated and presented part of their research results in separate international conferences. Mr. Prasetyo Nugroho, a SEARCA PhD Research Scholar pursuing PhD in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) in Indonesia, received the Best Paper Award for his research titled, "Blood hematology Profile and Immunoglobulin G at Postpartum in Ettawa Grade Does Fed Flushing Diets with Fatty Acid Differences During Late Gestation" during the 1st International Conference on Veterinary, Animal, and Environmental Sciences (ICVAES 2019) held on 14-17 October 2019 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The conference was… Read more

SELANGOR, Malaysia – SEARCA, through its Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD), conducted an orientation on scholarship guidelines and responsibilities for new and ongoing scholars studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on 31 October 2019. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, took this opportunity to meet and welcome the 21 scholars, out of 34 SEARCA scholars enrolled at UPM, who attended the meeting. Dr. Gregorio also mentioned SEARCA's new collaboration with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). He highlighted that this collaboration will open opportunities for scholars studying at UPM to conduct part of their research at… Read more

Southeast Asian photographers, both amateurs and professionals across all ages, have until 30 November 2019 to beat the submission deadline for the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Photo Contest 2019. The theme Cultivating Southeast Asia's Youth Agripreneurs spotlights SEARCA's challenge to respond to "the 'new normal' conditions in the Southeast Asia region, (which) compel SEARCA and all of its key partners to initiate a paradigm shift and deliver greater impact on the lives of the primary stakeholders, the farmers and farming families, including the youth," affirms Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA's newly installed… Read more

The Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) jointly organized the 4th National Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR) Congress held on 28-29 October 2019 at the BSWM Convention Hall, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. The congress was conducted to highlight the major results of DA-BAR's Community-based Participatory Action Research Program, which is a location-specific research cum extension activity that involves the verification and/or adaptation/demonstration of improved farming systems technologies and practices to suit the needs and requirements of a specific micro-agro-climatic environment within… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), conducted the training on Financial Viability and Profitability Analysis of Agricultural Technologies and Enterprises for the fourth batch of participants on 21-25 October 2019 at the SEARCA Headquarters. A total of 24 selected personnel from state universities and colleges (SUCs), local government units (LGUs), DA Regional Offices and attached agencies, and DA-BAR participated in the training. The training aimed to provide knowledge and improve the skills of the research personnel from… Read more

The newly installed Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) envisions the Center's strategic role in pushing for inclusive innovation and academe-industry-government interconnectivity towards Agriculture 4.0 and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SEARCA held investiture rites for Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio as the 11th SEARCA Director presided by Philippine Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones on 28 October 2019 at the Center's headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. A distinguished rice scientist and Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Philippines, Dr. Gregorio is also currently… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – SEARCA, through the Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD), invites interested Southeast Asian nationals to apply for SEARCA's PhD Research Scholarship. The scholarship grant, which was first offered in 2005, provides financial support to qualified PhD students to conduct research relevant to the priority thrusts of SEARCA such as Social Inclusion in Agriculture and Rural Development, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, Regional and Sub-regional Cooperation, and Institutions and Governance. Deadline of submission of applications is on 20 December 2019. For more information on scholarship benefits and the application procedure, visit: https://www.searca.org/phd-research-scholarship… Read more

Almost six months after Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio took the helm, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) will honor him as its new Director with a formal investiture ceremony on 28 October 2019 at its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), SEARCA is one of the oldest specialist institutions of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). SEARCA was founded in 1966 to serve the agricultural and rural development needs of Southeast Asian countries through… Read more

SEARCA headquarters, Philippines – "Working with women social scientists in developing plant varieties taught me to look at science holistically, not only at the plant but the farmer." Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director and renowned rice breeder, shared this life-long lesson in being a scientist from equally renowned former colleagues, notably the late national scientist and distinguished sociologist, Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, during the launch and seminar for the book titled Gender Dimension of Climate Change Research in Agriculture: Case Studies in Southeast Asia. "They were the social scientists who told us to put a human face to science,"… Read more