LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is gearing up for the next session of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on 16 April 2026, featuring the Embassy of Vietnam in the Philippines. The session will spotlight the country's strategies for sustainable agriculture and rural development, a timely topic amid regional efforts to strengthen resilience and foster innovation in agricultural systems.
Continuing the momentum of previous installments featuring diplomatic officials from Thailand and Spain, the upcoming MDS will further broaden SEARCA's discourse with the international community on issues shaping agricultural and rural development across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Central to the discussion is Vietnam's shift from high-volume production to high-value and eco-friendly agricultural systems by 2030. The presentation will offer an overview of the country's strategic direction in agricultural sustainability, providing context for potential collaboration with the Philippines and the broader region.
Anchored in SEARCA's 12th Five-Year Development Plan: Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), the MDS continues to bridge diplomacy, science, and policy. Through this series, SEARCA reinforces engagement with embassies and international partners to promote meaningful exchanges on foreign policy priorities, development initiatives, and collaborations in agriculture and rural development, education, research, and innovation.
The event will bring together diplomatic officials, policymakers, researchers, academics, development professionals, and the youth, creating a dynamic environment for dialogue on shared challenges and opportunities. As SEARCA hosts the next installment of the series, it reaffirms its commitment to building partnerships that drive sustainable agricultural transformation across the region and beyond