The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have organized a training-workshop for higher education institutions (HEIs) on research and project development for Agriculture 4.0.
The training-workshop will be held from October 12 to 13.
A total of 88 faculty members from 37 colleges and universities across the country, along with key staff of CHED and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), will participate in the training-workshop.
The training will be conducted via the SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagement platform, which will be livestreamed via Zoom and Facebook.
The sessions on the first day will be open to the public. SEARCA enjoins faculty members, researchers, and staff involved in research and extension in HEIs to join the online event. Interested graduate students with ongoing manuscript writing may also attend. Participation is free of charge.
The second day will be devoted to a workshop that includes practice exercises and the actual writing of a research proposal related to agriculture.
SEARCA Director Dr Glenn B. Gregorio said their organization is advocating for the adoption of Agriculture 4.0 – a concept of the future of agriculture focusing on the use of big data, Internet of Things, precision farming, and disruptive agriculture for increased business efficiency.
Gregorio said HEIs are well-positioned to translate academic knowledge into research proposals to provide solutions for current and emerging issues and challenges.
The training-workshop aims to enable HEI faculty members, researchers, and extension staff to imbibe in-depth understanding and working knowledge on the concepts, tools, and process of project development.
At the end of the training-workshop, the participants would have developed proposals related to Agriculture 4.0 that their college or university may submit for external funding and eventual implementation.
Dr Gregorio also said collaborating with CHED on the training-workshop aligns with SEARCA's priority thrust on transformational leadership for agricultural and rural development.