Ambassador Ossowski, in his welcome remarks reminded the scholars of how important education is in the development of a nation; and how Germany, through the DAAD scholarship has been able to contribute to the development of the Southeast Asian nations.
On the other hand, Ms. Brill noted that being a former DAAD scholar herself, she has learned a lot from the experience, including an appreciation of another culture. She hoped that the DAAD-SEARCA scholars will likewise gain much from this program, the way she did.
Meanwhile, Dr. Saguiguit said in his closing speech, as read by Dr. Cardenas, that SEARCA’s partnership with DAAD, which started 37 years ago, is a resounding proof of how the Center values partnership in the pursuit of its mandates. Moreover, he underlined the critical role that the DAAD-SEARCA scholars can take on, to move Southeast Asia past the challenges of extreme poverty, continuously growing population and dwindling natural resources.
“We need to continue buildïng the region's human resources to face these challenges. We expect the 15 scholars who will receive their SEARCA-DAAD scholarship grants today will keep this noble objective of making a difference in mind,” he added.
The 15 scholarship awardees are:
|
| Scholar | Degree/Program | Country |
| 1. | Mr. Sambo Pheap | MS, Soil Science | Cambodia |
| 2. | Ms. Myint Thu Thu Aung | MS, Agricultural Economics | Myanmar |
| 3. | Mr. Myo Win Maung | MS, Environmental Science | Myanmar |
| 4. | Ms. Myat Moe Hlaing | PhD, Botany | Myanmar |
| 5. | Mr. Kyaw Min Htut | PhD, Entomology | Myanmar |
| 6. | Ms. Than Htwe | MS, Agronomy | Myanmar |
| 7. | Ms. Myint Myint Soe | PhD, Entomology | Myanmar |
| 8. | Ms. Maria Anabelle Gerona | PhD, Development Communication | Philippines |
| 9. | Ms. Maria Teresa R. Sawit | MS, Community Development | Philippines |
| 10. | Ms. Queenie Ann Curayag | PhD, Food Science and Technology | Philippines |
| 11. | Mr. Ulderico Alviola | Straight PhD, Development Communication | Philippines |
| 12. | Ms. Edelweiss Sajise | PhD, Plant Breeding | Philippines |
| 13. | Ms. Alisa Sahahirun | PhD, Extension Education | Thailand |
| 14. | Mr. Le Phuong Nam | MS, Agricultural Economics | Vietnam |
| 15. | Mr. Hoang Ha Anh | MS, Environmental Science | Vietnam |
The DAAD or Deutscher Akademishcher Austausch Dienst and SEARCA partnership dates back to 1975 when DAAD awarded its first 15 scholarship grants to nationals of Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam to pursue graduate degree in agriculture and related sciences. To date, the DAAD-SEARCA scholarship grants have benefited 322 Southeast Asian scholars working towards the agriculture and rural development in the countries of Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Thailand, and Vietnam.
