SEARCA News

MANILA, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) shared the unique qualities of its graduate scholarship program at the 14th Annual Meeting and Scientific Convention of the Outstanding Young Scientists, Inc. (OYSI) held on 9 July 2019. The convention theme was "Philippines Got Talents: Sustainable Education, Talent Retention, and Development." Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, SEARCA Program Head for Graduate Education and Institutional Development, talked about "Building Talents and Capabilities in Southeast Asia towards Agricultural and Rural Development." Speaking before a gathering of OYSI members who include Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA… Read more

Forty-four (44) students and twenty-five (25) staff from the members of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) and from partner universities under the Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MSFSCC) project converged at SEARCA this 15 July 2019 for the joint opening of the UC-MSFSCC Summer School and the MSFSCC Training of Trainers. This year's Summer School with theme "Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Vulnerable Areas" is jointly organized by the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)… Read more

Ten Southeast Asian nationals received the In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Grants from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) through SEARCA to pursue their graduate studies at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Kasetsart University (KU) for Academic Year 2019/2020. The 2019 DAAD grantees are the following: NameCountryDegree Sought/Study Post Pengly Koun Cambodia MS Agricultural ResourcesKasetsart University Nguyen Thi Thuy Vietnam MS Veterinary MedicineKasetsart University Chindy Ulima Zanetta Indonesia PhD Plant ScienceUniversiti Putra Malaysia Cipto Nugroho Indonesia PhD Plant PathologyUniversity of the Philippines Los Baños Gita Addelia Nevara Indonesia PhD Food ScienceUniversiti Putra Malaysia M Murughan… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), together with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Water (IdSC Water), and the UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-industrial Technology (CEAT), held the Program Development Workshop on Sustainable Water Resources Management for Food Security in Southeast Asia on 26-28 June 2019 at SEARCA Headquarters, College, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The workshop aimed to contribute to sustainable water resource management systems for food security in Southeast Asia through stocktaking of research, policy, and other initiatives; identifying gaps that… Read more

"It was all about creating added value for the farmer. And this is really the heart of the matter for serious seeds people: how can we create added value for the farmers." These were the words of Dr. Simon N. Groot, the 2019 World Food Prize laureate, at his commencement address during the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) graduation rites held on 22 June 2019 where he was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his outstanding achievement in his field and exemplary service to his fellowmen. On the other hand, the World Food… Read more

GWANGJU, Korea – The Society for the Advancement of Breeding Research in Asia and Oceania (SABRAO) has elected Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), as its President from 2019 to 2023 during the 2019 International Conference on Plant Breeding for Sustainable Development held here on 2-5 July 2019. Dr. Gregorio succeeded Prof. Dr. Sang-Nag Ahn of Chungnam National University, South Korea. SABRAO is an international society dedicated to basic and applied aspects of breeding research in economically important plants. Formed in 1968—at a time when many countries… Read more

CENTRAL LUZON, Philippines – The stakeholders of the project Upgrading the Calamansi Value Chain towards Improving the Calamansi Industry of Oriental Mindoro participated in the ‘Lakbay-aral’ organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on 24–27 June 2019. This educational trip was joined by the calamansi farmers and the representatives of the local government units (LGU) of Naujan, Pola, and Victoria, together with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) of Oriental Mindoro. The team visited the citrus germplasm collection in Nueva Vizcaya State… Read more

Dr. Weerapon Thongma, Acting President of Maejo University, Thailand, challenged fellow graduates of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to become leaders of their institutions during the UPLB Graduate School Hooding and Recognition Ceremonies held on 21 June 2019. The ceremony was attended by 358 master's and doctoral students, one day before receiving their graduate degrees at the 47th UPLB Commencement Exercises. An alumnus also of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) under the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)-SEARCA scholarship which supported his PhD (extension education) study at UPLB, Dr. Weerapon… Read more

INCHEON, South Korea – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), which manages the ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF) Strategic Response Fund [ASRF], organized the session on Youth and Gender Inclusion in Forestry under Stream 2: People and Forests Living in Harmony in the Asia Pacific Forestry Week 2019 (APFW 2019) which was held in Incheon, South Korea on 17-21 June 2019. The APFW 2019 was jointly organized and hosted by the Korea Forest Service and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head for… Read more

INCHEON, South Korea – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its administration of the ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF) Strategic Response Fund (ASRF), has awarded travel grants to Mr. Long Ratanakoma of Cambodia, Dr. Tuti Herawati of Indonesia, and Dr. Ei Ei Swe Hlaing of Myanmar. The ASRF travel grantees participated in the Asia Pacific Forestry Week (APFW) 2019 in Songdo ConvensiA, Incheon, Korea on 17-21 June 2019. The grants are awarded as part of the initiative to disseminate scientific knowledge vital to social forestry and the interrelated issues of… Read more