SEARCA News

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is set to convene an Independent Dialogue in support of the United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit 2021. To be held virtually on 18 May 2021, the dialogue is titled “Breaking Silos: Transforming Agricultural Education and Research toward Sustainable Food Systems in Southeast Asia.” Seeing that the transformation of food systems is central to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN will convene a Food Systems Summit in September 2021 to help establish the future direction for food systems and accelerate collective action toward this… Read more

To further gain insights for the development of ASEAN Guidelines for the Utilization of Digital Technologies for ASEAN Food and Agricultural Sector, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) organized a second online Knowledge Sharing Workshop with ASEAN Member States (AMS) on 26 April 2021. The activity looks further into the experiences of ASEAN member states (AMS). It was also a platform to discuss their inputs and gather suggestions for the development of a set of guidelines to equip… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) participated in the SEAMEO Congress 2021 organized by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in collaboration with the Malaysian Ministry of Education and the Thai Ministry of Education on 28-29 April 2021. The event brought together diverse education actors and stakeholders to craft common pathways to achieve and improve the quality of learning for the alpha generation that responds to the global needs and wider access to education with no one left behind as envisioned under United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr. Glenn… Read more

“The youth possess massive power to advocate for change and to hold decision-makers accountable,” emphasized from the statement of the United Nations by Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) during the Caloocan Sustainable Development Goals Conversations (SDGCon) 2021 of the Caloocan Young Leaders Initiative on 24 April 2021. Dr. Gregorio in his presentation titled “Food on an Increasingly Hot Plate” stressed out that the youth must sow the seed of curiosity and think critical perspectives on climate change and food security. He mentioned that “we need fresh… Read more

Dr. Glenn B. GregorioDirector and CEOSoutheast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Point 1: OVERALL GROWTH PROJECTIONS FOR AGRICULTURE SECTOR IN Q1 2021. In our projection, the overall growth rate of the volume of production shows a positive growth for the Q1 of 2021. However, more sustained efforts in the remaining quarters of 2021 are needed to hit the preferred 2% growth, which is achievable as the agriculture sector becomes more adapted and innovative given the government’s systemic and systematic technological interventions are being put in place. While we have noted a contraction in the… Read more

The proceedings of the “Stakeholders Forum: A Forward-looking and Transformative Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia” convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in October 2020 is now available. The new SEARCA publication captured the highlights of the forum discussions on the challenges, best practices, and opportunities to strategically advance agricultural and rural development (ARD) for the benefit of farmers and farming families in the region. Specifically, it presents strategic lessons from institutional experience in the science and practice of ARD in Southeast Asia and lays out common priorities, pragmatic actions… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted its 27th and 28th SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagement (SOLVE) webinars under the theme Enhanced Agriculture and Rural Development Towards Climate Resilience on 14 and 28 April 2021 via Zoom and Facebook Live. The 27th SOLVE webinar was titled SOLVE Climate Change Impact on Agriculture: Production and Post-Production Practices. The presenters include Dr. Reiner Wassmann, climate change expert and SEARCA Senior Fellow, and Engr. Martin Gummert, Senior Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Dr. Wassmann shared his insights… Read more

April 27, 2021- The regional policy forum on Developing Public Policies for Family Farming: Reaching Out to the Grassroots through Participatory Policy Making has highlighted the need of engaging stakeholders and implementing participatory processes in policymaking to support and strengthen family farming in the Southeast Asian region. Conducted as part of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF), this event was led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)… Read more

The Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) of SEARCA conducted a virtual hangout with the scholars through the Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development Unit (GSID). Despite communicating regularly through emails and other online messaging applications, SEARCA would like to situate its scholars given the challenges to their graduate studies in this new normal. Six sessions were held on April 19, 20, 23, and 26 for the full MS/PhD scholars studying at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universitas Brawijaya (UB), IPB University, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Kasetsart University (KU). Altogether, 104 scholars attended… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA, Philippines – Higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines take on the challenge to enhance their relevance and competitiveness in the 21st century as they participate in UP YOUR GAME: Leadership Development Program for HEIs in the Philippines. The two-and-a-half-month online program, led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with The HEAD Foundation (THF) in Singapore, opened on 21 April 2021 and will run until 7 June 2021. The program challenges the participating higher education leaders to level up in the key areas of leadership, graduate preparedness… Read more