Both delegations were received by Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director, who also provided an overview of the Center’s programs and activities. Joining Dr. Saguiguit were SEARCA’s Program Heads, namely: Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma of the Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD), Dr. Bessie M. Burgos of the Research and Development Department (RDD), and Dr. Maria Celeste H. Cadiz of the Knowledge Management Department (KMD).
Leading the delegation from Nagoya University was Dr. Yoshihito Watanabe, Vice President for International Affairs and Public Relations, who thanked SEARCA for its continued support to their university, particularly in establishing the Nagoya Satellite Campus at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Dr. Watanabe was accompanied by the Director and technical and administrative support staff of the Asian Satellite Campuses Institute, Professors, and Deans of Graduate Schools of Nagoya University.
The delegation was also updated on the status of the SEARCA-Nagoya University Joint PhD Research Scholarship, which currently has two ongoing scholars from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia. The said scholarship was an offshoot of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for institutional cooperation between SEARCA and Nagoya University signed in December 2014.
Under the standing agreement with SEARCA, Nagoya University is also looking into the possibility of a joint research project with the Center, particularly in the broad area of social sciences including value chain analysis of high-value commodities, food security, and climate change.
On the other hand, representatives from the Graduate School of Economics of Kyoto University explored the possibility of joining the SEARCA-initiated Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) as an associate member university.
Kyoto University sees SEARCA and the UC as strategic partners to facilitate joint programs on graduate scholarships and research programs benefitting both the Center and the university, and the Southeast Asian region in general.
The delegation from Kyoto University was composed of Ms. Ayako Fujieda of the Kyoto University –ASEAN Center; and Mr. John Lambino, Mr. Yusuke Arai, and Ms. Yuko Imai, all from the Graduate School of Economics of Kyoto University. Accompanying them were Mr. Marvin U. Herrera, Professor at the UPLB Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, and Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Dean of the UPLB Graduate School.
During both meetings, Dr. Saguiguit also presented the proposal for the establishment of the Southeast Asian AgriMuseum and Learning Center to which both universities can contribute their technical expertise and resources.
