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 rural development across Southeast Asia.
SEARCA underscored four key pathways for engagement: full graduate scholarships; PhD research scholarships; student mobility and exchange opportunities; and grant support programs, such as the Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT), the Travel Grants Program, and the Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS).
As flagship initiatives central to SEARCA's mandate, these programs remain key components of the Center's current five-year development framework, Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), which aims to strengthen agricultural systems through evidence-based, collaborative approaches. The presentation emphasized that SEARCA's scholarships and grants go beyond individual capacity-building, contributing to broader development outcomes under the SUSTAIN Southeast Asia framework: improving livelihoods (Pocket), enhancing food security (Plate), strengthening the climate resilience of agri-food systems (Place), and empowering stakeholders and institutions (People) across the region.
Joining SEARCA in the pitching session were its fellow specialist centers under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) network— including regional centers for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH), for Special Educational Needs (SEN), and for Sufficiency Economy Philosophy for Sustainability (SEPS)—as well as the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Manila; and Fulbright Philippines.
Participants also visited the Center's information booth, where educators and DepEd personnel received materials on SEARCA's core programs, including eligibility requirements, application processes, and timelines.
SEARCA's participation in the event reaffirms its commitment to advancing regional cooperation and expanding access to quality education and capacity-building opportunities, in support of sustainable agricultural development.