UPDATE: The AJAD 20th Anniversary Seminar Series has been postponed indefinitely
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is celebrating the 20th year of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) with a seminar series by authors of its anniversary issue.
Published by SEARCA twice a year, AJAD is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, and policy briefs on a wide range of topics related to agriculture and rural development in Southeast Asia.
Themed "Asian Agriculture and Development in a Dynamic and Volatile Landscape of Demands, Peoples, and Risks," AJAD's 20th anniversary issue features eight papers by prominent international experts.
The seminar series will kick off on 18 November 2024 with a hybrid special seminar by two authors via Zoom and Facebook and onsite at SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna.
Open to the public, the seminar series will give authors, researchers, and other stakeholders to discuss research insights and real-world applications and impacts to agriculture.
The inaugural seminar in the special series is headlined by Filipino and American professors at top Philippine and US universities.
Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, Professor and University Scientist III at the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of the Philippines Diliman as well as Executive Director, University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, will present his paper titled "An Impact-Based Flood Forecasting System for Citizen Empowerment." Dr. Lagmay will elaborate on how the system is designed with real-time data analytics to encourage community participation by providing citizens with actionable information to prepare for and respond to flood events.
Dr. Peter Timmer, Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Development Studies, Emeritus of Harvard University, USA, will discuss his retrospective essay "How I Learned to Stabilize Rice Prices and Why." The essay includes Dr. Timmer's reflections on food price stability over the past 50 years, particularly in developing countries where rice is a staple food, as well as current stresses on the global food system and the relevance of historical lessons in addressing these challenges.
Reactors will offer expert commentary to deepen the discussion after the presentation. The discussants are Dr. V. Bruce Tolentino, SEARCA Senior Fellow and Former Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Dr. Samarendu Mohanty, Vice President of The Rice Trader.
"AJAD's 20th anniversary marks a significant milestone for SEARCA and the broader agricultural research community in Southeast Asia," Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA Director, said.
Expected to grace the anniversary celebration are pillars in the region's agricultural development, including three former SEARCA Directors, top academicians, a national scientist and other eminent scientists, as well as leaders and experts from the Los Baños science community.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, a former SEARCA Director and the visionary behind AJAD, will offer valuable insights into the journal's early years and talk about its significance.
The AJAD editor, Dr. Cielito Habito, who also headed NEDA and served as Socioeconomic Planning Secretary, will unveil the 20th Anniversary Issue of AJAD during the event.