The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) invites applications for its graduate scholarship (MS and PhD) in agriculture and related fields for Academic Year 2016-2017.
This graduate scholarship is open to nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam who are regular employees of academic, research or government institutions and not more than 35 years old at the time of application.
The field of studies involves agriculture and related sciences (including biological sciences, fishery, environmental science, statistics, forestry and social sciences).
With the Tenth Five Year Plan as guide, the graduate scholars’ thesis/dissertation topics must fall within any of the following ISARD priority themes and focus areas: Social Inclusion -Strengthening of Value Chains and Agribusiness Commodity Systems; Integration of small-scale farmers into commercial food systems; Food and Nutrition Security; Productivity-enhancing innovations and modern technologies; and Rural entrepreneurship toward off-farm and non-farm businesses.
On Environmental Sustainability focus areas include: Climate change adaptation and resiliency; as well as Natural Resource Management. While on Cross-cutting Concerns include: Sub-regional cooperation in trade and investments; Regional Economic Integration (AFTA and AEC 2015); overnment Policies, Institutions, and Governance Mechanisms/Reforms that can address and redress rural poverty, inequitable growth, and environmental degradation.
Any of the following universities, as well as those that have institutional arrangements with SEARCA, may serve as study posts of SEARCA MS and PhD scholars: Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Bogor, Indonesia; Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Selangor, Malaysia; Kasetsart University (KU), Bangkok, Thailand; University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Laguna, Philippines; University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), Quezon City, Philippines; and University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), Iloilo, Philippines.
Meanwhile, SEARCA reserves the right to make the final decision on the choice of the scholars' study post. Therefore, applicants are required to submit to SEARCA applications for admission to the Graduate Schools of three universities in the list.
The scholarship support covers stipend, tuition, international and domestic travel allowances, thesis/dissertation support, book allowance, and health insurance.
Interested parties may submit their accomplished SEARCA Scholarship Application form together with other original application requirements to the Ministries of Education/Higher Education of their respective countries. Applicants must check the deadlines set by the Ministries to receive/accept applications of SEARCA scholarship. These Ministries will then screen and endorse applications to SEARCA not later than 30 September 2015.
The applicant’s topic of research for thesis/dissertation must be in line with any of SEARCA’s priority thrusts, namely: Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Competitiveness.