LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has staged the inaugural session of its new knowledge sharing platform, the Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS), at its headquarters here on Monday.
The event, held at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium, marked a concrete step toward aligning foreign policy priorities with regional agricultural and rural development goals under SEARCA's 12th Five Year Development Plan: Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems Through Innovation in Southeast Asia, also called SUSTAIN Southeast Asia.
With the launch of MDS featuring the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila as its first diplomatic partner, the program mobilized a broad audience from government, private sector, academe, civil society, and the diplomatic corps.
The by invitation, on site gathering included a diplomat presentation, an open dialogue and a networking reception.
Ambassador of Thailand to the Philippines Makawadee Sumitmor delivered a comprehensive update on Thailand's foreign policy direction, development priorities and emerging cooperation opportunities for Southeast Asian agriculture.
Participants also engaged in a lively exchange, exploring how Thailand's experience with climate smart rice systems and agro processing could be adapted across the region.
According to SEARCA, the MDS aims to provide a platform for ambassadors to share country updates, foreign policy directions, development priorities and cooperation opportunities in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia.
It said that beyond information sharing, the series will serve as a partnership-building mechanism to strengthen mutual understanding, goodwill and collaboration between embassies and the Los Baños Science Community.
Insights from the dialogue will feed directly into SEARCA's flagship initiatives — policy research, capacity building programs and the formulation of country agricultural outlooks, "ensuring that diplomatic perspectives become a springboard for sustained, results oriented regional projects rather than a one off lecture," according to SEARCA.
SEARCA Center Director Mercedita Sombilla noted that the series "positions SEARCA at the intersection of science, policy and diplomacy, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive, innovation driven agricultural solutions for Southeast Asia."