SEARCA News
LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Five distinguished experts from universities across Southeast Asia have been awarded the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair for Academic Year 2026–2027, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research, instruction, and innovation in support of agricultural and rural development in the region. The awardees are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Prof. Bambang Purwantara of IPB University, Indonesia, Prof. Ng Kee Woei of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, Prof. Adrian P. Ybañez of Cebu Technological University (CTU), Philippines, and Prof. Dr. Chanakan Prom-u-thai of Chiang Mai University in Thailand. Dr. Ahmad Faizal… Read more
SEARCA awards Professorial Chair for UPLB faculty
30 June 2026 LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has reinstated its Professorial Chair Program for the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), marking a renewed commitment to recognizing academic excellence and underscoring SEARCA's enduring partnership with UPLB. As the Center's host institution, UPLB plays a pivotal role in the implementation of SEARCA's programs, including by serving as a study post for graduate scholarships and contributing experts to regional research initiatives. The UPLB Chancellor also serves as the Philippine representative to the SEARCA Governing Board, further highlighting the university's close institutional ties with… Read more
CALAMBA CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) held a refresher training on sustainable gardening techniques for staff members of Bahay ni Maria, a home for abandoned elderly persons and children with special needs in Calamba, Laguna, on 22 June 2026. Led by Ms. Anna Gale Vallez, Program Specialist at the SEARCA Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD), the training equipped 15 young staff members, along with Sr. Marie Sosoban of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima, with knowledge of sustainable home gardening practices. The session covered organic farming, bio-intensive gardening… Read more
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Education and Collective Learning Department-Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development Unit (ECLD-GSIDU), will offer the YES!, or Your English Sidekick, Micro-credential to incoming SEARCA scholars for Academic Year 2026–2027 to support their preparation for graduate study. The YES! Micro-credential is an online, asynchronous learning program developed by the College of Development Communication (CDC) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to strengthen scholars' English communication skills as they prepare for graduate study in universities where English is the medium of instruction. The program forms… Read more
2025 Customized Training for SEARCA Scholars LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) will hold "Beyond the Journal Article: Scientific Writing for Policy and Wider Scholarly Engagement" on 27-31 July 2026 in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The five-day, on-site event aims to strengthen the academic and professional capacities of SEARCA's graduate scholars. Organized under SEARCA's Graduate on Time (GOT) Program, this training is designed to help master's and PhD students transform their graduate research into outputs that reach audiences beyond traditional academic journals. The program focuses on developing policy briefs and book… Read more
LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has released Vietnamese translations of two policy briefs that address pressing agricultural and rural development challenges in Vietnam. The translated briefs aim to make evidence-based policy recommendations more accessible to Vietnamese policymakers, researchers, local planners, extension workers, and development practitioners working on food and nutrition security, water resources management, and climate-resilient agriculture. The two translated publications are "Closing the Seasonal Food Gap: Policy Options for Food and Nutrition Security in Vietnam's Upland Communities" by Le Thi Thanh Loan and "Preventing Groundwater Depletion in Dong Nai… Read more
TOKYO, Japan—Mr. Cyril John C. Nagal, a DAAD-SEARCA Scholar and PhD student in environmental science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), represented the Philippines at the 16th Asian Conference on the Social Sciences (ACSS2026) held at the Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan on 9–13 May 2026. DAAD, or the German Academic Exchange Service, is SEARCA's longest-running scholarship partner.Organized by the International Academic Forum (IAFOR) in partnership with the IAFOR Research Centre at the Osaka School of International Public Policy (OSIPP), Osaka University, ACSS2026 convened scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners from across the globe to foster interdisciplinary dialogue… Read more
BANGKOK, Thailand—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recognized four teams with the SEARCA Agrinnovate Farmer-First Award at the Agritechnica Asia Hackathon, highlighting innovative AI-powered solutions designed to address real-world challenges in agriculture. The winning teams emerged from a pool of 47 registered contestants from Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Following the hackathon challenges held on 21 May 2026, and organized under four AI-enabled use cases, 15 innovators, mostly students, formed the winning teams whose solutions demonstrated strong potential to deliver meaningful benefits to farmers and agricultural enterprises. The… Read more
QUEZON CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) participated in the "Borderless Pathways: Global Scholarships and Exchanges for Educators" held on 29 May 2026 at SEAMEO (INNOTECH). Organized by the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), the event brought together DepEd alumni, international partners, and key stakeholders to serve as a one-stop platform connecting educators with scholarship and exchange opportunities worldwide. Part of the program included a session for DepEd's partner organizations to deliver their respective scholarship pitches. SEARCA presented its suite of scholarship and grant opportunities designed to build capacities in agricultural and… Read more
MUNTINLUPA CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) co-organized the 2nd Science and Technology IMPACT Assessment Conference (IACon 2026) held on 25–26 May 2026 at the Acacia Hotel in Alabang. The event was led by the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Public Affairs and Development (UPLB CPAF), together with the Department of Science and Technology, particularly the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD). Anchored on the theme "Evaluating What Works… Read more
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