SEARCA News

“…my mission in life is to create jobs. I am not a job seeker, I am a job giver” – Muhammad Yunus Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Muhammad Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to prove how, through credit, the poor can be empowered even with a small amount of capital. The approach became a global model and caught the interest of Dr. Generoso Octavio, who was then a faculty of the College of Economics and Management at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (CEM-UPLB)… Read more

Cassava is a crop commonly grown in Thailand by small farmers in marginal soil types. In the past, it is exported as an ordinary supplement for livestock feed in Europe. Now it is considered as one of the most important crops in Thailand, playing a critical role in addressing food security, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability… Read more

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) are gearing up for the launch workshop of the project on “Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns” to be held on 7-8 October 2016 at SEARCA Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines… Read more

To be appointed as one of the think tanks of a country’s agriculture sector is both an honor and a huge responsibility. Having been entrusted that critical position by 12 agriculture ministers or in the case of the Philippines, department secretaries, and four Presidents is already a feat in itself. … Read more

For a country that has more than 4,000 higher education institutions, having been entrusted the executive post is one thing, but leading and transforming it into one of the most reputable universities in Indonesia is another. For Indonesia’s Dr. Musliar Kasim, it is, however, all in a day’s work. Dr. Kasim is considered one of Indonesia’ prominent personalities when you talk about education, even up to the present… Read more

A project titled Supporting Smallholder Farmers in Asia and Pacific-Islands Region through Strengthened Agricultural Advisory Services kicked off with an inception workshop hosted by SEARCA on 7-8 September 2016… Read more

COLLEGE, LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA, Philippines – Beyond the science, research collaboration is a transformative process of knowing yourself and learning to be open, humble, and appreciating another perspective, which are important in coming up with much better concepts and proposals for research in climate change adaptation and mitigation.  … Read more

LOMBOK, YOGYAKARTA, and BANDUNG, INDONESIA -- Three projects supported by the Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT) Program of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) are studies on Blue Economy implementation, bio-fungicide utilization, and pigmented rice development in Indonesia… Read more

If you trace Dr. Delfin J. Ganapin, Jr.’s footprints, you would see how this environmental activist has made his mark in the national, regional, and global arena. Even as a student he has been a staunch advocate of the environment. He spearheaded the Samahang Ekolohiya (Ecological Organization) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in the early 70’s, during the Martial Law Era. As one of the first forest ecology faculty in UPLB, he introduced the “barefoot forestry” concept that in due course evolved into the community-based forest management program in the Philippines… Read more

Thirty-seven Southeast Asians are now included in the roster of graduate students who are pursuing their study programs through the SEARCA scholarship. Of these new SEARCA scholars, 23 are enrolling for their Master’s degree, while 14 are taking their PhD. In terms of academic discipline, there is almost an equal distribution of scholars in the social sciences and natural sciences… Read more