SEARCA News

Sixty-six faculty members from eight member universities of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) converged at the SEARCA Headquarters for the First UC Faculty Forum on 23 – 24 July 2019. The Forum, co-hosted by SEARCA and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, provided a venue for faculty members from the UC to come together, exchange research ideas and develop strategic partnerships for collaborations. With the theme on Responding to the Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there were 4 plenary speakers and 43 papers presented in parallel sessions under 4… Read more

BAYBAY CITY, Leyte – Conveying together the partners who have successfully implemented the project Piloting and Up-scaling Effective Models of Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture (ISARD), SEARCA spearheaded a three-day workshop titled, Case Studies Presentation cum Writeshop of the Gains, Challenges and Opportunities in Piloting Effective Models of ISARD on 16-18 July 2019 in Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte. The activity aimed at validating and finalizing the case studies and drafting the terminal report of the project. It was also a venue to discuss and document success stories of the two pilot sites in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro and Inopacan, Leyte… Read more

Dr. Arsenio M. Balisacan and Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., both former Directors of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) were awarded Outstanding Alumni of the College of Economics and Management (CEM) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) during its Centennial Anniversary Celebration held on 19 July 2019. Dr. Balisacan, who is currently the Chairman of the Philippine Competition Commission, was keynote speaker of the event. Dr. Balisacan and Dr. Saguiguit were among the 100 awardees recognized by CEM-UPLB for their significant contributions to their respective fields of study and… Read more

BANGKOK, Thailand – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) was one of the selected partner organizations to participate in the recently concluded 2nd International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Mekong Knowledge and Learning Fair (MKLF) here on 10–12 July 2019 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers. The 2019 MKLF, with the theme, "Promoting Partnerships: Smallholder Producers with Private Agribusiness and Financial Institutions," aimed to (1) learn from the shared experiences of Thailand in developing agribusiness, which benefit the smallholder farmers; (2) identify approaches, technologies, and solutions from the shared tested practices… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), together with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS SEA), organized a roving workshop on 9-13 July 2019 to demonstrate how local-level outscaling of climate-resilient agricultural practices can be undertaken under different agro-ecosystems and conditions in Guinayangan, Quezon Province. Titled Establishing Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) in the ASEAN Region to Improve Food Security and Resiliency in Local Communities, the workshop gathered 12 participants from the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN)… Read more

MANILA, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) shared the unique qualities of its graduate scholarship program at the 14th Annual Meeting and Scientific Convention of the Outstanding Young Scientists, Inc. (OYSI) held on 9 July 2019. The convention theme was "Philippines Got Talents: Sustainable Education, Talent Retention, and Development." Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, SEARCA Program Head for Graduate Education and Institutional Development, talked about "Building Talents and Capabilities in Southeast Asia towards Agricultural and Rural Development." Speaking before a gathering of OYSI members who include Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA… Read more

Forty-four (44) students and twenty-five (25) staff from the members of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) and from partner universities under the Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MSFSCC) project converged at SEARCA this 15 July 2019 for the joint opening of the UC-MSFSCC Summer School and the MSFSCC Training of Trainers. This year's Summer School with theme "Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Vulnerable Areas" is jointly organized by the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)… Read more

Ten Southeast Asian nationals received the In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Grants from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) through SEARCA to pursue their graduate studies at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Kasetsart University (KU) for Academic Year 2019/2020. The 2019 DAAD grantees are the following: NameCountryDegree Sought/Study Post Pengly Koun Cambodia MS Agricultural ResourcesKasetsart University Nguyen Thi Thuy Vietnam MS Veterinary MedicineKasetsart University Chindy Ulima Zanetta Indonesia PhD Plant ScienceUniversiti Putra Malaysia Cipto Nugroho Indonesia PhD Plant PathologyUniversity of the Philippines Los Baños Gita Addelia Nevara Indonesia PhD Food ScienceUniversiti Putra Malaysia M Murughan… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), together with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water (IdSC Water), and the UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-industrial Technology (CEAT), held the Program Development Workshop on Sustainable Water Resources Management for Food Security in Southeast Asia on 26-28 June 2019 at SEARCA Headquarters, College, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The workshop aimed to contribute to sustainable water resource management systems for food security in Southeast Asia through stocktaking of research, policy, and other initiatives; identifying gaps that… Read more

"It was all about creating added value for the farmer. And this is really the heart of the matter for serious seeds people: how can we create added value for the farmers." These were the words of Dr. Simon N. Groot, the 2019 World Food Prize laureate, at his commencement address during the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) graduation rites held on 22 June 2019 where he was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his outstanding achievement in his field and exemplary service to his fellowmen. On the other hand, the World Food… Read more