SEARCA News

The proceedings of the “Stakeholders Forum: A Forward-looking and Transformative Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia” convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in October 2020 is now available. The new SEARCA publication captured the highlights of the forum discussions on the challenges, best practices, and opportunities to strategically advance agricultural and rural development (ARD) for the benefit of farmers and farming families in the region. Specifically, it presents strategic lessons from institutional experience in the science and practice of ARD in Southeast Asia and lays out common priorities, pragmatic actions… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) conducted its 27th and 28th SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagement (SOLVE) webinars under the theme Enhanced Agriculture and Rural Development Towards Climate Resilience on 14 and 28 April 2021 via Zoom and Facebook Live. The 27th SOLVE webinar was titled SOLVE Climate Change Impact on Agriculture: Production and Post-Production Practices. The presenters include Dr. Reiner Wassmann, climate change expert and SEARCA Senior Fellow, and Engr. Martin Gummert, Senior Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Dr. Wassmann shared his insights… Read more

April 27, 2021- The regional policy forum on Developing Public Policies for Family Farming: Reaching Out to the Grassroots through Participatory Policy Making has highlighted the need of engaging stakeholders and implementing participatory processes in policymaking to support and strengthen family farming in the Southeast Asian region. Conducted as part of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF), this event was led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)… Read more

The Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) of SEARCA conducted a virtual hangout with the scholars through the Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development Unit (GSID). Despite communicating regularly through emails and other online messaging applications, SEARCA would like to situate its scholars given the challenges to their graduate studies in this new normal. Six sessions were held on April 19, 20, 23, and 26 for the full MS/PhD scholars studying at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universitas Brawijaya (UB), IPB University, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and Kasetsart University (KU). Altogether, 104 scholars attended… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA, Philippines – Higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines take on the challenge to enhance their relevance and competitiveness in the 21st century as they participate in UP YOUR GAME: Leadership Development Program for HEIs in the Philippines. The two-and-a-half-month online program, led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with The HEAD Foundation (THF) in Singapore, opened on 21 April 2021 and will run until 7 June 2021. The program challenges the participating higher education leaders to level up in the key areas of leadership, graduate preparedness… Read more

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in partnership with the Malaysian Ministry of Education and the Thai Ministry of Education, will jointly convene the SEAMEO Congress 2021 with the theme “Transforming Southeast Asian Education, Science and Culture in the Digital Age” on 28-29 April 2021. The Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)—one of the oldest SEAMEO centers—will participate in the said congress. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, will serve as an Overall Moderator for the Market Place Session A: Partner Presentations. Meanwhile, Mr. Joselito G. Florendo, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration… Read more

Over 60 students and advocates of agriculture across the country joined a virtual talk with Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, on youth leadership in agriculture context held via Zoom on 18 April 2021. The event was organized and attended by the members of the Central Committee of Agriculture Students Association of the Philippines (ASAP), a confederation of agriculture students from 72 colleges and universities across the country who recognize the urgency of promoting agriculture among the younger generation. In his presentation, Dr. Gregorio narrated his aspirations and humble beginnings with science and agriculture from his high school years to… Read more

The Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) of SEARCA shared the sweet story of local cacao farmers in Indonesia inside an integrated “farmer-to-bar” chocolate company. Ms. Sabrina Mustopo, Founder of Krakakoa Chocolate in Indonesia, joined the SEARCA Scholars and Grantees of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) to discuss innovative ways to promote sustainable farming and support the local cacao farming community through a social business. The event was aptly titled, “Sweet Stories: Empowering Local Cacao Farmers through Innovative Food Production Systems”. It was conducted on 16 April 2021 through the SEARCA… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will host a regional policy forum titled Developing Public Policies for Family Farming: Reaching Out to the Grassroots through Participatory Policy Making on 27 April 2021, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 n.n. ICT, via Zoom. The forum will be conducted as part of the initiatives for the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF). It aims to provide a venue to identify and analyze the enabling factors and… Read more

Selected outstanding student teams rose up in developing innovative solutions for the farming sector of the Philippines in the recently concluded Innovation Olympics 2.0 (IO 2.0). The agri hackathon is jointly organized by East-West Seed with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Sensient Colors LLC, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), UPLB-Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (UPLB-TTBDO), UPLB Startup Innovation and Business Opportunity Linkaging Labs (SIBOL Labs), and APEX: The UPLB Business Network. Visayas and Mindanao Leg Team Low-Cost Chlorophyll Meter and Team BalZip – Agrotech Zipdrone, both from the University… Read more