LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) celebrated the milestones of 31 graduate scholars during its virtual Testimonial Ceremony for Academic Year (AY) 2025–2026 on 25 August 2026. The event honored the scholars’ academic rigor and underscored their crucial role in spearheading sustainable agriculture and rural development throughout Southeast Asia.
Addressing the graduates, SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla urged the new alumni to extend their research beyond academia and translate evidence into actionable solutions that uplift farming and fishing communities, inform policy, and fortify regional food systems. She urged the cohort to serve as ambassadors of SEARCA’s mission by turning research into tangible developmental impact across the region.
The AY 2025–2026 graduating class comprised eight master’s and 23 doctoral scholars, including eight PhD research scholars. SEARCA directly funded 14 of the scholars, while 17 completed their degrees through co-funding and joint scholarship partnerships with regional and international partners, including the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Center of Excellence for Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN), Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), National Taiwan University (NTU), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI).
The graduates hail from seven Southeast Asian countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, tackling specialized research areas ranging from climate-resilient crop breeding and biofertilizers to agro-tourism and sustainable aquaculture.
The ceremony highlighted exceptional scholastic milestones with the conferment of the Outstanding SEARCA Scholar Awards:
- Master’s Category: Mr. Moh Hari Rusli (Indonesia | NTU) was recognized for finishing his degree within two years, authoring three peer-reviewed Scopus-indexed papers on iron nutrition, biofortification, and cadmium toxicity mitigation, presenting at international conferences, and winning the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at the 11th Asian Crop Science Association Conference.
- PhD Category: Dr. Chairani Putri Pratiwi (Indonesia | Tokyo NODAI) earned the award after completing her doctorate in under three years with a perfect academic record, authoring five scientific papers, presenting five conference studies, and bagging two Excellent Paper Awards at international fora.
In addition, Ms. Verianti Liana (Master in Global Agriculture Technology and Genomic Science, NTU) and Dr. Satria Bhirawa Anoraga (PhD in Agricultural Process Engineering, UPM) received special Graduate-on-Time (GOT) recognition for finishing their programs within the standard scholarship duration.
Reflecting on their academic journey, Rusli stressed that academic progress must directly contribute to addressing broader regional food security and agricultural challenges.
The new graduates were formally inducted into the Regional SEARCA Alumni Association (RSAA) via an oath-taking ceremony led by Dr. Weerapon Thongma, President of Maejo University in Thailand and current RSAA Vice-President. Thongma challenged the alumni to leverage cross-border cooperation and active regional networks to accelerate inclusive agricultural transformation.
By fostering academic excellence and strategic institutional partnerships, SEARCA remains committed to cultivating a robust network of experts, innovators, and leaders equipped to shape policies and build resilient, sustainable agrifood systems across Southeast Asia.