SEARCA News

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – SEARCA scholar Hoang Le Huong (Vietnam) received the Best in Grammar and Academic Writing special award during the closing ceremony of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Language Instruction Towards Excellence (LITE) Program on Intensive English Course for International Graduate Students for first semester AY 2019-2020. With her were seven other SEARCA scholars who took the intensive lessons to develop their competency in the English language in terms of speech, reading and vocabulary, grammar, and academic writing. They were the 43rd batch to finish the course on 02… Read more

In order to provide consumers updated science-based information on the benefits and the unblemished safety record of biotech products, the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines (BCP) worked with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture-Biotechnology Information Center (SEARCA-BIC) in organizing a forum on the development and adoption of biotech crops for food and feed in the Philippines. During the forum, around 50 participants coming from different food manufacturing companies, technology developers, and members of the academe had the opportunity to interact with the country's leading technology developers to… Read more

Former SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center (BIC) head Dr. Maria Monina Cecilia Q. Arcelo-Villena was posthumously hailed as one of this year's Filipino Faces of Biotechnology for her significant contributions in the field of science communication. Dr. Villena was also the former head of SEARCA's Knowledge Management Department. Ma'am Nina, as she was fondly called by her colleagues, was instrumental in initiating and facilitating discussions on biotechnology with the government's legislative and judicial branches as well as other key stakeholders in the country. Through various projects to create public awareness and to reach out to farmers, consumers, students, and policymakers, Ma'am… Read more

Knowing the importance of factual journalism in promoting biotechnology, SEARCA, through its Biotechnology Information Center (BIC), the Joe Burgos Pen, Inc., Department of Agriculture (DA)-Biotechnology Program Office, DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research, and the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines teamed up to recognize the country's leading science and technology journalists. This year's awardees, who were recognized based on the best news and feature stories in the past year, include Louise Maureen Simeon, Ace June Rell Perez, Stephanie Tumampos, Jasper Arcalas, and Charissa Luci-Atienza. Institutional awards were also given to Business Mirror, the Philippine Star, and Manila Bulletin for publishing the most… Read more

Recognizing the importance of integrating research, effective communication, and science-based regulatory frameworks in harnessing the full potential of agribiotechnology to fuel sustainable agricultural development, SEARCA partnered with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA) Southeast Asia, Malaysian Biotechnology Information Center (MABIC), and Monash University in organizing the Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology, Biotechnology Regulation, and Communication (ASCA). It will run from December 2-6, 2019 in the Philippines. Now on its second year, this program aims to enable participants to have a better understanding of the entire value chain of living modified organisms (LMOs), as well as national… Read more

Taipei, Taiwan – Executive Board members of the University Consortium attended the 32nd Executive Board Meeting on 21-22 November 2019 at National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei, Taiwan. Regular Member institutions represented in the meeting include: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) represented by Dr. Robiah Yunus, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, and Mr. Saiful Maskan, Senior Assistant Registrar; Kasetsart University (KU) represented by Dr. Buncha Chinnasri, Assistant to the President, and Dr. Naroon Waramit, Assistant to the President for Academic and International Affairs, Kamphaeng Saen Campus; Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) represented by Dr. Djagal Wiseso Marseno, Vice Rector for Education, Learning… Read more

Taipei, Taiwan – The National Taiwan University (NTU) served as host for the 32nd Executive Board Meeting on 21-22 November 2019. The institution was formally accepted as an Associate Member of the University Consortium (UC) early this year. NTU is one of the top comprehensive and research-oriented universities in Taiwan. It provides a diverse, competitive, and international curriculum while insisting on a strong academic training for cutting-edge research and development. It is also one of the world's preeminent research and education institutes that provides leadership and academic excellence in a wide array of disciplines across science, arts, and the humanities… Read more

Taipei, Taiwan - Universitas Brawijaya (UB) was welcomed as a Regular Member of the University Consortium (UC) during the 32nd Executive Board Meeting at National Taiwan University (NTU) on 21-22 November 2019. UB was founded in 1961 and is one of the leading universities in Indonesia which specializes in agriculture, medicine, economics, law, engineering, and information technology. The institution also has a number of international linkages with academic exchange programs and double degree offerings in MS and PhD, more than 1,200 international student enrollment and numerous SCOPUS-indexed publications. UB articulated their intent to join the UC during the 29th UC… Read more

Taipei, Taiwan – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), and Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 22 November 2019 regarding the Tokyo NODAI-UC Scholarship for Dissertation Doctorate Program. This partnership aims to enhance the agricultural research and development in Southeast Asia by allowing SEAMEO scholars to be conferred a doctorate degree from Tokyo NODAI upon satisfying the requirements for doctorate dissertation work.  Tokyo NODAI offers a unique, integrated approach to agricultural education through its… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) welcomes Prof. Joselito G. Florendo, a distinguished educator and administrator at the University of the Philippines (UP), as its new Deputy Director for Administration effective 1 December 2019. Prof. Florendo is an Associate Professor at the UP Diliman (UPD) Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business. Having served as Vice President for Planning and Finance of the UP System from May 2014 to November 2019, Prof. Florendo brings with him an extensive experience in administration. Prior to that, he also served as Assistant Vice President for Planning and… Read more