A delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR, led by Mr. Bounthavy Sayapheth, Director General of the Department of Personnel and Organization, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 5 February 2025 to learn about the Center's graduate study program.
Director Sayapheth was joined by Dr. Soulaphone Inthavong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation; Dr. Siviengkhek Phommalath, Director of Rice and Cash Crop Research Center of the National Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Research Institute; Mr. Dethsackda Manikham, Director of Provincial Agriculture and Forestry of Khammouane Province; and Mr. Khampong Vongphachanh, National Project Manager of the Climate Friendly Agribusiness Value Chains Sector Project of the Department of Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives. Both Mr. Manikham and Mr. Vongphachanh are alumni of SEARCA's scholarship program.
During the meeting, the visitors were briefed on SEARCA's initiatives and achievements in Fiscal Year 2023/24.
In response, Mr. Saiyapheth thanked the Center for its continuous efforts in providing scholarships and capacity-building programs to Lao nationals. He expressed interest in learning more about the graduate study program so that they can effectively promote it to potential Laotian scholars. As of date, SEARCA has awarded scholarships to 73 Laotian nationals.
Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, Senior Program Head of SEARCA's Education and Collective Learning Department, provided details on the program's eligibility requirements; financial assistance; and supplementary benefits such as training sessions in basic English, thesis proposal writing, and data analysis.
Additionally, she introduced SEARCA's joint scholarship projects with various universities, research institutions, and government agencies, such as the German Academic Exchange Service, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Tokyo NODAI, National Taiwan University, and Sejong University.
The delegation was received by Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs; Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration; and Ms. Sharon Malaiba, Unit Head for Partnerships.