SEARCA News

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organized the Training Workshop on Bridging Research into Policy from 21–23 January 2025 as part of its commitment to nurturing future leaders and innovators in agriculture and rural development. Fifteen SEARCA scholars from various institutions such as Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), IPB University in Indonesia, and Benguet State University in the Philippines traveled to Los Baños, Laguna to attend the learning event. The training workshop was led by Adjunct Professor Wilfredo… Read more

PASAY CITY, Philippines—Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Center Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and 2024 Outstanding Professional of the Year in the field of Agriculture, delivered an inspiring message to the new generation of licensed agriculturists as he served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker at the Oathtaking Ceremony of New Agriculturists at the Philippine International Convention Center on 20 January 2025. The event was hosted by the Professional Regulation Commission. Dr. Gregorio congratulated the more than 3,000 newly registered professional agriculturists for their hard work and acknowledged their parents' unwavering… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Emerging Innovation for Growth Department (EIGD), and the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) jointly launched an evaluation project through a kick-off meeting on 22 January 2025 at the SEARCA Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. SEARCA was commissioned by the DA-PRDP to conduct the project titled Combined Endline and Baseline Evaluation Study for the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project, Assessing the Original Loan (OL), First Additional Financing (AF1) and Second Additional Financing (AF2) and Establishing Baseline for PRDP Scale-Up. Started… Read more

The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD), an internationally peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), celebrates two decades of contributing to the knowledge base of Asian agriculture and development through a paper seminar, featuring the presentation and discussion of two published articles in the AJAD 20th Anniversary Issue. The anniversary revolves around the theme, "AJAD's First Twenty Years: Evolving Knowledge and Practice in Asian Agriculture and Rural Development." Dubbed AJAD@20, the celebratory program and paper seminar is slated for 3 February 2025, 9:30 a.m., at the SEARCA Umali… Read more

SEARCA is set to conduct a three-day, face-to-face Training-Workshop on Bridging Research into Policy from 21–23 January 2025 as part of its commitment to nurturing leaders and innovators in agriculture, rural development, and related fields. The course, organized by the SEARCA's Education and Collective Learning Department, was designed exclusively for the Center's scholars and aims to equip participants with the skills and knowledge to effectively translate research findings into actionable policies, promoting evidence-informed policymaking and practice. Sixteen SEARCA scholars across different scholarship programs studying at Kasetsart University in Thailand, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Nagoya University in Japan, Universiti… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Graduate Study Program has expanded its reach beyond Southeast Asia to advance South-South cooperation by awarding a scholarship to a Liberian for the first time. Mr. Apatens Gardiner, a Master of Science in Agronomy student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, was granted the SEARCA scholarship in July 2024. Mr. Apatens graduated with a Bachelor of Science in General Agriculture with honors from William V. S. Tubman University, a public university in Maryland County, Liberia. During his undergraduate studies, he served as the Student President… Read more

The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development December 2024 issue contributes seven new studies and a book review to the knowledge base of timely themes on global food prices, sustainable food system, food security, value chain, income diversification, and hunger and poverty. Based on findings in the paper "Unveiling Socioeconomic Factors Shaping Global Food Prices and Security: A Machine Learning Approach," Professor Shan Shan of Zhejiang University, China, concludes that harnessing machine learning techniques and understanding socioeconomic variables are necessary to help policymakers make informed decisions on improving global food prices and security. Researchers from Thailand, China, Myanmar, Lao PDR… Read more

The ERASMUS+-funded program on Postgraduate Micro-credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) opened 2025 with a workshop titled Developing a Roadmap for the Establishment of Micro-Credentials. This workshop, held on 9–10 January 2025 at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, marked the project's final event under Work Package 3 (WP3). Organized by UGM in collaboration with Maejo University (MJU), the workshop played a crucial role in finalizing the roadmap for micro-credentials and reaching an agreement among partner universities on offering the program. The workshop gathered representatives from academic institutions, including Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), UGM, and Universitas… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has picked four projects for the 2024–2025 Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS). The grants, ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 15,000 each, will support projects aimed at transforming food production in Laos, Timor Leste, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The GRAINS project proponents plan to introduce new processes and technologies in farming communities. In Laos, Dr. Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath, a microbiology expert, will teach farmers to extract probiotic microorganisms from agricultural waste to provide affordable nutrients for their hydroponic farms. In Timor Leste, Mr. Agustinho da… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD), teamed up with the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) for the CE SAIN-SEARCA Joint International Conference 2024: The Fourth International Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (SAIN4) and the Third School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise (SHGBEE3) Conference held on 19–22 November 2024 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Themed "Harnessing synergies of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity towards food and nutrition security and improved livelihoods," this year's conference provided a platform for tapping into… Read more