THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has showcased its graduate study programs to a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (PD) during their visit on Feb. 5, 2025.
The visit by the Laos agriculture officials to the Philippine-hosted center in Los Baños, Laguna was led by Bounthavy Sayapheth, director general of the Department of Personnel and Organization.
During the meeting, the visitors were briefed on SEARCA's initiatives and achievements in Fiscal Year 2023/24.
In response, Saiyapheth thanked the center for its continuous efforts in providing scholarships and capacity-building programs to Lao nationals and expressed interest in learning more about SEARCA's graduate study program so that they can effectively promote it to potential Laotian scholars.
SEARCA director Glen Gregorio said the center has awarded scholarships to 73 Laotian nationals as of date.
Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, SEARCA Education and Collective Learning Department senior program head, provided details on the program's eligibility requirements; financial assistance; and supplementary benefits such as training sessions in basic English, thesis proposal writing and data analysis.
Curesma also introduced SEARCA's joint scholarship projects with various universities, research institutions and government agencies, such as the German Academic Exchange Service, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Tokyo Nodai, National Taiwan University and Sejong University.
Nur Azura binti Adam, SEARCA deputy director for programs; associate professor Joselito Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for administration; and Sharon Malaiba, SEARCA unit head for partnerships, received the Laos delegation.
Joining Sayapheth during the visit were Soulaphone Inthavong, deputy director general of the Department of Planning and Cooperation; Siviengkhek Phommalath, director of Rice and Cash Crop Research Center of the National Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Research Institute; Dethsackda Manikham, director of Provincial Agriculture and Forestry of Khammouane Province; and Kampong Vongphachanh, national project manager of the Climate Friendly Agribusiness Value Chains Sector Project of the Department of Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives.
Both Manikham and Vongphachanh are alumni of SEARCA scholarship program.