Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)-SEARCA Joint Scholarship

The joint project between Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and SEARCA started in 2012 and has been renewed under a new structure for another five academic years, starting September 2020 until August 2025. Under the project, UPM will award a matching scholarship in the form of full fee waiver (2 years for Master and 3 years for PhD) to every one full scholarship from SEARCA for qualified nationals from the eleven member countries of SEAMEO who will pursue their Masters or PhD degrees at UPM. Three scholars have already completed their studies while four are ongoing scholars under this joint scholarship project.

Eligibility

• Open to nationals of SEAMEO member countries who are employees of academic or research institutions or government agencies (priority is given to regular employees).
• Must not be more than 35 (Master's Degree) or 40 (PhD) years of age at the time of application.
• Proposed thesis research should focus on SEARCA's overarching theme of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN). Moreover, priority research topics must fall within the ATTAIN priority areas:
  • Agri-Business Models for Increased Productivity and Income
  • Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management
  • Food and Nutrition Security
  • Transformational Leadership for Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD)
  • Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD
  • Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience
  • EcoHealth/One Health Applications to ARD

A preview of SEARCA's 11th Five-Year Plan or ATTAIN is available at https://www.searca.org/what-we-do

Application Procedure

Applicants must fill out the UPM-SEARCA Joint Scholarship Form and upload a copy of all required documents.

The required documents to be submitted should be in English or must have official translation in English:

1. Original/certified true copy of transcript of academic records bearing the seal of the University and original signature of the Registrar or Head of the University. Applicants for MS degree should submit their original/certified true copy of Bachelor of Science (BS) transcript of records. PhD degree applicants should submit their original/certified true copy of BS and MS transcripts of records
2. Original or certified true copies of certificates of completion/diploma for every degree completed
3. Certificate of employment
4. Endorsement from the employer
5. Updated curriculum vitae
6. Brief description of the research the applicant plans to conduct for thesis/dissertation. The research topic must be in line with SEARCA's overarching theme of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN) with the following priority areas:
   • Agri-Business Models for Increased Productivity and Income
   • Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management
   • Food and Nutrition Security
   • Transformational Leadership for Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD)
   • Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD
   • Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience
   • EcoHealth/One Health Applications to ARD
7. Certification from a medical doctor that the applicant is in good physical and mental health condition and is fit to undertake graduate studies
8. Preferred to have IELTS results of 6.0 or TOEFL iBT result of 75, taken within two years before application as proof of English proficiency

Scholarship Entitlements

The successful scholarship recipient is entitled to the following:

• Tuition and other school fees;
• Travel allowance to cover international/domestic travel;
• Health and life insurance;
• Stipend for food, lodging and incidental expenses;
• Book and supplies allowance; and
• Thesis/Dissertation research/writing budget;

Contact Information

For inquiries, please contact: