Twenty-seven incoming Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) scholars from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste completed a five-week synchronous consultation program designed to strengthen their confidence in academic, social, professional, and intercultural communication.
Held every Friday from 3 to 31 July 2026 via Zoom, the sessions complemented the 2026 YES! Your English Sidekick Micro-credential (YES! MC), an online asynchronous program offered to incoming SEARCA scholars who are non-native English speakers. While the self-paced modules focused on foundational skills in grammar, writing, and reading, the synchronous sessions provided scholars with guided opportunities to practice real-life communication situations they are likely to encounter in graduate school and in their host communities.
The sessions were organized by SEARCA as part of its continuing efforts to support scholars beyond academic placement. Through the program, scholars practiced asking professors for clarification, participating in classroom discussions, requesting consultations, writing academic emails, introducing themselves, explaining their research interests, networking, and responding to academic questions.
Beyond academic communication, the sessions also addressed everyday social situations that are essential to scholars’ adjustment to new environments. Participants practiced asking for directions, using public transportation, buying food and necessities, requesting assistance, initiating conversations, responding to invitations, and building relationships with classmates and members of their academic communities.
The activities helped scholars strengthen not only their English communication skills but also their independence, confidence, and readiness to adapt to unfamiliar cultural and academic settings. By practicing common interactions in a supportive environment, the scholars were able to reduce communication anxiety and gain practical skills for navigating graduate student life.
A key component of the program was intercultural communication. Scholars examined how culture influences communication styles, including differences between direct and indirect communication, possible causes of misunderstanding, and the role of observation, empathy, openness, and flexibility in multicultural interactions.
The final session focused on professional and academic confidence, enabling scholars to practice presenting themselves and their research interests in ways that support future collaboration, networking, and participation in academic communities.
The YES! MC forms part of SEARCA’s Graduate-on-Time Program, which strengthens the academic and professional capacities of the Center’s master’s and PhD scholars. Together, the asynchronous modules and synchronous sessions help incoming scholars prepare for graduate study, adjust more comfortably to their study posts, and participate more confidently in academic, professional, and multicultural settings.
Through YES!, SEARCA continues to provide holistic support to its scholars, equipping them not only with academic resources but also with the communication skills and confidence needed to thrive in graduate education and contribute meaningfully to their institutions and communities.