SEARCA News

In an era of change when the vulnerabilities, uncertainties, complexities, and ambiguities of a fast-evolving environment dictate the way agricultural challenges are appraised and addressed, how can agri-ventures and their innovations flourish in Agriculture 4.0? The SEARCA Agri-Innovator Program (SEARCA AIP) contributes to responding to this question by advocating for a human-centered approach combining Design Thinking as a mindset and Lean Startup as a methodology for developing agricultural innovations. The short-term training program, formally launched on 22 November 2022 and will feature weekly sessions until 28 February 2023, brought together 16 agriculture and rural development practitioners from diverse backgrounds to walk… Read more

The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) successfully offered the 6th UC Summer School from 13-27 November 2022 at the Banyuwanggi Regency and Malang, Indonesia. This year's offering with the theme “Crop Diversification, Mixed Cropping, and Risk Management in Smallholders’ Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change” was jointly organized by Universitas Brawijaya (UB) in collaboration with L'Institut Agro of France. Specifically, the course aimed for the post-graduate participants to collectively build a framework for the assessment of mixed cropping and risk evaluation in smallholders’ agriculture; develop their capacities on integrated sustainability of… Read more

The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) conducted its 35th Executive Board Meeting on 25-26 November 2022, hosted by Universitas Brawijaya (UB) in Malang, Indonesia. UB hosted the meeting back-to-back with this year’s 6th UC Summer School. The hybrid meeting was attended by representatives from Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Kasetsart University (KU), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), National Taiwan University (NTU), Maejo University (MJU), Visayas State University (VSU), and Central Luzon State University (CLSU). The Southeast Asian… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) met with several regional agencies based in Thailand to explore possible collaborations in the areas of agriculture, technology, and research. Winrock International On 28 November 2022, SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio and William Sparks, Winrock International Country Director, met in Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Bangkok, Thailand, and discussed potential collaborations. They were joined by Ms. Sharon A. Malaiba, Head, Partnerships Unit (PU), and Ms. Beatrisa L. Martinez, Executive Coordinator. The meeting particularly focused on how SEARCA can be engaged in Winrock’s project on Regional Agriculture… Read more

Dr. Attaphon Sangkkawasee, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Thailand, representing Her Excellency Treenuch Thienthong, Minister of Education, Thailand, formally opened the 45th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (HOM) on 29 November 2022 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Bangkok, Thailand. The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is the mother organization of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). The HOM brought together education ministers, permanent secretaries, and other high-level education officials of the 11 SEAMEO Member Countries, Associate Member Countries, and affiliate members as well as officials and… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) will host the Awarding and Closing Ceremony of the 14th SyenSaya, the annual science festival of the Los Baños Science Community (LBSC), on 7 December 2022. The event will feature R&D Awards that recognize outstanding researchers in LBSC and Youth Science Awards.  Organized by LBSC Foundation, Inc. (LBSCFI), this year’s SyenSaya will be a three-day hybrid celebration to be held face-to-face and livestreamed by Facebook and Zoom. It carries the theme “Agham at Teknolohiya: Kabalikat sa Maunlad at Matatag na Kinabukasan,” echoing the theme of the National… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines (NAST PHL) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) holds the FlexPHD: Food is Life Exemplified for Planetary Health Diet. With the theme “Mobile App Development Competition for Planetary Health Diet”, FlexPHD encourages values-driven food choices. The organizers have announced that Filipino students, researchers, data analysts, computer programmers, app developers, and other stakeholders joining the “Online Design Thinking Class” to… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and in collaboration with other partner institutions have initiated several activities as part of the Philippines’ 18th National Biotechnology Week. In his message for the NBW celebration, SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said that it is an opportune time to explore and maximize business, trade, and investment opportunities that products of modern biotechnology offer us. He said that biotechnology remains a viable science-based option that has yielded impact not just on agricultural production but on the… Read more

Transformative agricultural innovation systems require leaders and institutions that are responsive to the changing landscape of Southeast Asian agriculture. To provide innovative solutions to the rising challenges in agriculture and the environment, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), launched a pioneering program on Transformational Agricultural Innovation Systems for the New Future (TrAInS) on 16 November  2022. With 30 participants from various Southeast Asian higher education institutions, government ministries and agencies, non-government and farmers’ organizations, and private and civil society organizations who are… Read more

Sharing the commitment to achieving food and nutrition security while promoting sustainable agriculture, and restoring biodiversity or ‘BioAgversity,’ the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) together with the Regalo ng Kilit Foundation, Inc. convened the First International Conference on School plus Home Garden cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise (SHGBEE1) on 8-12 November 2022 at Coron, Palawan, Philippines. With the theme “Restoring Biodiversity, Regenerating Agriculture, and Building Businesses,” SHGBEE1 provided a platform for sharing of experiences and best practices related to school and home gardens and its contributions to biodiversity enhancement and enterprise development in the… Read more