SEARCA News

SEARCA attended the kick-off meeting led by Kasetsart University (KU) for the Postgraduate Micro-Credentials on Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) project, held from 31 January to 1 February 2024. The initiative, funded by the European Commission ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE), spans from 2023 to 2026, aiming to deliver learner-centered short-term courses through micro-credentials to address food security and climate change concerns. The project also intends to utilize advances in digital technologies to develop and offer online modules that will address the twin issues of food security and climate change. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA center… Read more

SEARCA's Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) conducted an Online Training on Research Methodology and Data Analysis on 22–26 January 2024, catering exclusively to its scholars. This initiative is a component of SEARCA's annual customized capacity-building programs that serve as tools for scholars to complete their academic requirements. Dr. Nur Azura Binti Adam, deputy director for programs at SEARCA, commended the participants for their commitment to skill enhancement despite their heavy academic load. SEARCA emphasized the importance of having adequate knowledge in determining the appropriate research design and methodology, especially since theses and dissertations represent the final scholarly output of… Read more

Morong, Rizal – In a groundbreaking initiative, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) partnered with the Department of Education Schools Division of Rizal (DepEd–Rizal) to organize a three-day training program on sustainable food production for schools and communities. Conducted under the project, School Edible Landscaping for Entrepreneurship (SEL4E) in Rizal Province, the training was held on 24–26 January 2024, at Tomas Claudio Memorial Elementary School (TCMES) and Morong National High School (MNHS) in Morong, Rizal, with a vision of establishing home gardening as a cornerstone for improving the food and nutrition security of… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Asociación de Centros de Formación Profesional (FPEmpresa) formalized their mutual understanding to cooperate in areas of common interest, such as education, training, and research primarily on vocational education and training (VET), in a virtual signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) held via Microsoft Teams on 24 January 2024. The signatories to the five-year MOU are SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio and Mr. Luis García Domínguez, FPEmpresa president and board member, with Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for administration, and Mr… Read more

Sixteen Taiwanese and five Filipino Project LAKBAY (Learning Actively through Knowledge-Based Appreciation for Youth) fellows, together with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and Edu-Connect Southeast Asia Association staff, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 17 January 2024. They were accompanied by Dr. Eing Ming Wu, senior managing adviser of Edu-Connect Southeast Asia Association-Taiwan; visiting professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG); and a SEARCA Senior Fellow. Project LAKBAY, an initiative by the UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies… Read more

Delegates from universities across the Philippines, who completed short-term training programs with the Southeast Asian Regional Center Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), shared the outcomes of their learning experiences in a Culminating Forum on 13–14 December 2023 at the SEARCA headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The 29 training alumni were part of the project titled, Leveling Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR), funded by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and implemented by SEARCA. The project provided training grants to faculty and staff of the State Universities and Colleges-Association of… Read more

SEARCA, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Graduate School, organized a workshop titled "New Year, New You: Coping Strategies to Improve Mental Health" on 9 January 2024 at SEARCA, College, Los Baños, Laguna. Prof. Dr. Firdaus Mukhtar, professor of Clinical Psychology and deputy dean for Admission, Institutional Relations & Financial Aid Unit at the School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and president of the Asian Cognitive Behavior Therapies Association, spearheaded the workshop. Drawing on her expertise, Prof. Dr. Firdaus guided the attendees on effective ways to manage their mental health. During the session… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) announces the latest recipients and projects of the Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS). The grants, ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 15,000 each, spotlight six projects that tackle farming challenges through emerging solutions, such as artificial intelligence, IOT devices, satellite technologies, and digital agriculture. Indonesian innovator Muhammad Iqbal Djawad harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to create a smart aquaculture system. His goal is to attain precision in the rearing conditions of black tiger shrimp. Relatedly, Ahmad Fikri Abdullah from Universiti Putra Malaysia leverages… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted cross-visits to local and global institutions in Singapore and Indonesia for 52 faculty and staff of Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs). The first batch of the cross-visit was held in Singapore on 13–17 November 2023 with 23 delegates from 14 HEIs. On the other hand, 29 delegates from 18 universities joined the cross-visit to Indonesia held from 27 November 2023 to 1 December 2023. The week-long cross-visits aimed to equip participants with enhanced knowledge, skills, and attitudes on R&D, as well as leadership and management, within… Read more

Seven new studies including a thoughtful commentary released by the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development in its December 2023 issue round up potentials of agriculture, notably in Southeast Asia. The authors' collective optimism, despite recognized perils in the current regional and global conditions affecting Southeast Asian agriculture, provides a glimpse of hope for the continuing role of the region as a major global producer and exporter. Renowned food security expert C. Peter Timmer in his paper "Back in the Soup: Now What?" presents the outlook for the world rice market as of early September 2023. The Harvard University emeritus… Read more