SEARCA News

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam —The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) reinforced its call for higher education institutions (HEIs) to strengthen link with industry needs during the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Training Center (RETRAC) International Conference on 13-14 July 2023. On behalf of SEARCA, Deputy Director for Programs Dr. Nur Azura Adam presented a conference paper titled, Reshaping Instruction, Research, and Development for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Southeast Asia. Taking off from a pandemic scenario, Dr. Nur underscored the role of universities in producing graduates with a transformative… Read more
Nineteen incoming Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) scholars attended the hybrid orientation meeting organized by the Center through its Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development Unit under the Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD-GSIDU) on 24 July 2023. The new scholars were from Cambodia (1), Indonesia (3), Malaysia (2), Myanmar (1), the Philippines (9), and Vietnam (3). They will be pursuing their graduate studies in their selected universities. The orientation featured a briefing on SEARCA, its 11th Five-Year Plan, and specific discussions about the graduate scholarship program delivered by Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, senior… Read more
Hosted by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), the third-year edition of the CLSU-SEARCA-UC International Summer Short-term Program (ISSP) has been organized in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC). The program runs from 24 to 31 July 2023 and offers an intensive training opportunity for international students interested in any of this year's track offerings: freshwater aquaculture, goat production, and mushroom pharming. Thirty-one participants from nine countries in Southeast Asia and Africa represent eleven universities, including… Read more
Continuing its commitment to empowering members of the judiciary to create sound, unbiased, and evidence-based decisions and policy recommendations, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) teamed up with the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS), the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service Manila (USDA-FAS Manila), and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Inc. for the Forum on Improving the Policy Environment for Biotech Industry Development held on 14 July 2023 at Manila Diamond Hotel and online via Zoom. SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio… Read more
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) continues its longstanding collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service-Manila (USDA-FAS Manila) in contributing to the development of an enabling environment for agricultural innovations with the Forum on the Current State and Opportunities for Biotechnology in International Trade and Technology Transfer held on 30 June 2023 at the Crop Biotechnology Center (CBC) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija and online via Zoom. Dr. Rhodora Aldemita, executive director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Inc., introduced the topics… Read more
Sharing the commitment to harness knowledge sharing and learning in advancing the agriculture sector in the Philippines and the region, SEARCA and the Philippine Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) launched the Learning Alliance Working Group (WG) on 27 June 2023 at the Ascott Hotel, Taguig City, Metro Manila. The event gathered more than 40 stakeholders from the academe, industry, and government (AIG). With SEARCA as lead, the Learning Alliance WG seeks to support research efforts on agriculture and sustainable development and create market-driven solutions that contribute toward lifting smallholder livelihoods at scale. This initiative is also aligned with the Center's… Read more
MANILA, Philippines—In a series of diplomatic engagements last week, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), had interacted with three ambassadors to the Philippines, the Center's host country. Two were envoys of associate member countries of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), SEARCA's mother organization. Dr. Gregorio said their discussions focused on the Center's upcoming initiatives and potential collaboration opportunities to enhance agricultural development in the region. On the sidelines of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) Annual Scientific Meeting at the Manila… Read more
The start-up venture Insiklo is turning market and household wastes into feed and fertilizer with the help of the insect black soldier fly (BSF). Every week, about 500 kg of market waste from Los Baños municipality are sent to Insiklo facility. The larvae of BSF devour food scrap, agricultural debris, and manure, reducing the waste volume and odor into a nutrient-rich compost for use as organic fertilizer on crops. The mature larvae are then harvested and processed into high-protein feed for livestock, poultry, and fish. The SEARCA Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS) was awarded in 2022 to… Read more
The Philippine Association of Agriculturists (PAA), Inc., the only Accredited Integrated Professional Organization (AIPO) for agriculture in the Philippines, will be holding its 10th National Congress and the 2023 Philippine Agriculturists' Summit on 25–27 July 2023 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City, Davao del Sur. The event will bring together experts, policymakers, and practitioners from various fields in agriculture. It aims to devise innovative solutions and strategies to ensure a resilient and sustainable future for the country's agricultural sector. The high-profile summit will focus on the theme "Sustainable Transformation of Philippine Agro-Food Systems" and will showcase the collective determination… Read more
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has commenced its new fiscal year by offering customized training to incoming scholars for the academic year 2023–24. A group of 11 scholars hailing from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam actively participated in the Basic English Course. The course, which started on 4 July 2023, kicked off with its first module focusing on conversations for social and academic interaction, as well as pronunciation improvement. This initial module was conducted online via Zoom. Subsequently, eight of the 11 scholars will continue their language learning journey… Read more
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