ADVISORY: Due to the threats of Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi) to Luzon, Philippines, in the coming days, we regret to postpone the AJAD 20th Anniversary Ceremony slated for 18 November 2024. We will announce when a new date for the event has been set.
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is celebrating the 20th year of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) with a seminar series by authors of its anniversary issue.
Published by SEARCA twice a year, AJAD is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, and policy briefs on various topics related to agriculture and rural development in Southeast Asia.
Themed "Asian Agriculture and Development in a Dynamic and Volatile Landscape of Demands, Peoples, and Risks," AJAD's 20th anniversary issue features eight papers by prominent international experts.
The seminar series will kick off on Nov. 18, 2024, with a hybrid special seminar by two authors via Zoom and Facebook and onsite at SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna, that is open to the public.
The seminar series will see authors, researchers, and other stakeholders discussing research insights and real-world applications and impacts to agriculture.
The inaugural seminar in the special series is headlined by Filipino and American professors at top Philippine and US universities.
Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, professor and university scientist at the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and executive director of UP Resilience Institute, will present his paper titled "An Impact-Based Flood Forecasting System for Citizen Empowerment."
Lagmay will elaborate on how the system is designed with real-time data analytics to encourage community participation by providing citizens with actionable information to prepare for and respond to flood events.
Dr. Peter Timmer, professor at Thomas D. Cabot Development Studies, emeritus of Harvard University, USA, will discuss his retrospective essay "How I Learned to Stabilize Rice Prices and Why."
The essay includes Timmer's reflections on food price stability over the past 50 years, particularly in developing countries where rice is a staple food, as well as current stresses on the global food system and the relevance of historical lessons in addressing these challenges.
Reactors will offer expert commentary to deepen the discussion after the presentation. The discussants are Dr. V. Bruce Tolentino, SEARCA senior fellow and former Monetary board member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Dr. Samarendu Mohanty, vice president of The Rice Trader.
"AJAD's 20th anniversary marks a significant milestone for SEARCA and the broader agricultural research community in Southeast Asia," said Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director.
Pillars in the region's agricultural development, including three former SEARCA directors, top academicians, a national scientist and other eminent scientists, and leaders and experts from the Los Baños science community are expected to grace the anniversary celebration.