SEARCA News

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SciDev.Net, the world's leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views, and analysis on science and technology for global development. CAB International is the parent organization of SciDev.Net. The partnership aims to strengthen science and technology communication in agriculture, environment, and health across Southeast Asia. Signatories to the MOU are SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio and SciDev.Net Managing Editor Ben Deighton with SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration Joselito Florendo and SciDev.Net Regional Coordinator Joel Adriano. Dr. Gregorio… Read more

Mainz, Germany — In a remarkable achievement for the Philippines, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of San Carlos (USC), Cebu City, have earned the Top 10 spot in the globally renowned Nature Awards for the Science in Shorts filmmaking competition. The recognition places the SEARCA x USC entry among the world's best, having competed against 250 submissions from international research teams. The winning entry, "Unusually sustainable - bioplastics from shrimp shells plus mango waste!", highlights a groundbreaking solution to plastic pollution, turning discarded shrimp shells and mango waste… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its banner youth engagement initiative Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI), led by Partnerships Unit (PU), organized a three-day seminar-workshop titled Winning the Future: Giving Voice to Values (GVV). This exercise in youth leadership, designed for SEARCAns aged 40 and younger, aimed to address the challenges in today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Organized under the SEARCArunungan para sa SEARCAbataan, a series of internal dialogues by and for the SEARCA youth staff to enable knowledge exchanges, the program was put together by the Technical… Read more

The College of Bioresources and Agriculture at National Taiwan University successfully hosted the 8th UC Summer School on 6–17 August 2024. This event, co-organized with the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources, or the University Consortium (UC), focused on the theme "Current Agriculture in Taiwan with A Glance of Precision Agriculture - Applications of Imagery and Modeling." The learning event brought together participants from various countries and backgrounds, offering them a unique opportunity for in-depth learning and multicultural exchange. The 12-day program witnessed the participation of 21 students from eight different countries and 11… Read more

A delegation from the Royal Thai Embassy Manila and Kasetsart University (KU), led by Mr. Rangsant Srimangkorn, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Royal Thai Embassy Manila, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 28 August 2024. With him were Mr. Witsarut Piyavongsomboon, First Secretary, Royal Thai Embassy Manila; Asst. Prof. Dr. Supapatpimol Simlee, Assistant to the President for International Affairs at KU, and other KU officials. Dr. Nur Azura Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs, welcomed the visitors, highlighting Thailand's significant role as one of the founding member countries of the… Read more

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—The Royal Thai Embassy Manila, in collaboration with Kasetsart University (KU), the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH), Philippine Department of Education, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, co-organized the Symposium on Sufficiency Economy and Sustainable Development held on 27 August 2024 at SEAMEO INNOTECH. The event is part of the year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the Philippines. The symposium highlighted "Sufficiency Economy Philosophy," established by His… Read more

BANGKOK, Thailand—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has enlisted the expertise of a Thailand Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (RAIN) project staff for its career orientation program for youth called Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture. This initiative aims to inspire Southeast Asia's next generation of agricultural leaders by introducing them to cutting-edge agricultural technologies and agri-entrepreneurship. On 2 September 2024, a SEARCA team led by Ms. Sharon Malaiba, Unit Head for Partnerships and Lead of the SEARCA Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI), met with Mr. Phonlapat Amornrattanaket, Business Development Specialist, Thailand… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD), organized the 2024 Online Basic English Course for Scholars from 29 July to 17 August 2024. This course aimed to improve the scholars' English skills and increase their confidence in using the language, particularly in preparation for their academic work. Traditionally held in person, SEARCA shifted to developing online modules for the Basic English Course in 2024 to better cater to the changing needs of new SEARCA scholars, many of whom already have English proficiency test scores that meet… Read more

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia – Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) proudly hosted the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) 9th Graduate Forum, themed "Sustaining Our Future: Circular Economy in Animal Production, Agriculture, and Forestry" on 17-18 July 2024. This significant event, held in collaboration with the Faculty of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Forestry, and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, brought together a diverse and multidisciplinary group of experts and scholars, reflecting the essence of the circular economy and its relevance across various sectors. The forum, attended by 36 oral presenters… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) mourns the passing of Professor Dr. Vo Tong Xuan, a renowned Vietnamese agricultural expert and the first recipient of SEARCA's prestigious Dioscoro L. Umali Achievement Award. Dr. Xuan died on 19 August 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City at the age of 84. Dr. Xuan was honored by SEARCA in 2008 for his groundbreaking work in promoting sustainable agriculture, particularly rice production, in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. His innovative approach and contributions, including developing and popularizing the IR36 rice variety in the Mekong Delta, have had a… Read more