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Who We Are

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is a non-profit organization established by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in 1966.

SEAMEO is a chartered international organization founded in 1965 is to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture in Southeast Asia. Its highest policymaking body is the SEAMEO Council, which comprises the Ministers of Education of the 11 SEAMEO Member Countries, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

SEAMEO also has Associate Member Countries, namely: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

SEARCA is hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

The Center derives its juridical personality from the SEAMEO Charter and possesses full capacity to contract; acquire and dispose of immovable and movable property; and institute legal proceedings. Moreover, SEARCA enjoys in the territory of each of the SEAMEO Member Countries such privileges and immunities as are normally accorded United Nations institutions. Representatives of SEAMEO Member States and officials of SEARCA shall similarly enjoy such privileges and immunities in the Philippines as are necessary for the exercise of their functions in connection with SEARCA and SEAMEO.

Objectives

Objectives

As SEAMEO's center of excellence in agriculture, SEARCA is mandated to:

  • Provide to the participating countries high quality graduate study in agriculture;

  • Promote, undertake, and coordinate research programs related to the needs and problems of the Southeast Asian region; and

  • Disseminate the findings of agricultural research and experimentation.

Funding

SEARCA draws its funding from various sources, including:

  • The Philippine government;

  • The SEAMEO Educational Development Fund through the SEAMEO Secretariat;

  • Donor agencies, government and nongovernment organizations, and other institutions that collaborate with SEARCA in its programs and projects; and

  • Interest earnings and earnings from approved income-generating activities for use in pursuit of SEARCA's education mandate.

Organizational Structure

As SEARCA implements its new strategy of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN), it takes on a new organizational structure based on its aspiration to be lean but responsive to the needs of its internal and external environments, and adaptive to industry needs, market changes, and technological advances.

SEARCA's Organizational Structure

Our People

Officials
SEARCA is headed by a Director who is assisted by two Deputy Directors. One Deputy Director is a Filipino, who takes charge of administration. The other Deputy Director is a national of a SEAMEO Member Country except the Philippines, who takes charge of the core programs. Learn more »

Governing Board
The SEARCA Governing Board (GB) is SEARCA's highest policymaking body. The GB is responsible for defining general policy guidelines for the Center and reviewing and evaluating annually SEARCA's programs and budgets, among others. Learn more »

Senior Fellows
SEARCA Senior Fellows provide gratis advice and guidance in the conceptualization of programs as well as technical inputs in project development and implementation. They also assist in establishing linkages and negotiating proposals with potential donors and partners. Learn more »

SEARCA Staff
SEARCA has a lean but excellent staff complement of 56 regular staff members as well as a number of contractuals and consultants. SEARCA's Fellows Program, which consists of Adjunct, Senior, and Visiting Research Fellows Programs, augments and strengthens the Center's professional staff.

SEARCA's History

Agriculture—the ability of people to produce their own food supply—is perhaps the most basic of all human enterprises and possibly the most important. More so today as world population continues to grow while the natural resources needed to feed them continue to shrink and are adversely affected by climate change. Aside from being a key to ensuring food security, growth in the agriculture sector has been known to be about twice as effective in reducing poverty compared to growth in other sectors. As such, agriculture remains a centerpiece of national development programs, including those of countries in Southeast Asia.

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