The Midterm Review of the Postgraduate Micro-Credentials for Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) project was held on 23–24 April 2025 at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.
The two-day event brought together partner institutions from Southeast Asia and Europe to assess the project's accomplishments and plan the next steps as it enters its final phase.
Funded by the European Commission's ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program, the PMC FSCC project (2023–2026) aims to develop modular, stackable, and flexible micro-credential programs that address critical challenges in food security and climate change across the region.
Representatives from Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Universitas Brawijaya (UB) in Indonesia; Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Malaysia; Maejo University (MJU) and Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand; and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Visayas State University (VSU), and SEARCA in the Philippines participated in the review. European partners from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) attended in person, while representatives from the University of Göttingen (UGOE) in Germany joined virtually.
During the sessions, progress updates were presented across the project's five work packages. Work Package 1 emphasized effective coordination and management, highlighting the development of quality assurance and sustainability strategies despite early administrative challenges. Work Package 2 reported the development of five micro-credential modules, with pilot testing phase currently underway. Work Package 3 advanced policy harmonization and quality assurance, culminating in a signed agreement to reinforce inter-university cooperation and commitment. Work Package 4 introduced monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track outputs and outcomes, ensuring data-driven development and continuous feedback. Work Package 5 showcased the project's growing visibility through online platforms and its first international conference. Future initiatives include regular updates through social media and newsletters, as well as second international conference. A Community of Practice (CoP) will also be launched to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders.
In her remarks, Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, thanked all delegates for their active participation and reaffirmed SEARCA's commitment to the project's success.
With the official offering of the micro-credentials targeted for November 2025, the PMC FSCC project is on track to contribute to building a more food-secure and climate-resilient Southeast Asia.
