Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC)

University Consortium members move to strengthen internationalization of graduate education

university consortium members move to strengthen internationalization of graduate education

BOGOR, Indonesia – The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Studies in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) resolved to strengthen its members’ initiatives toward the internationalization of graduate education through various student and faculty mobilities, collaborative research, and joint and dual degree offerings.

This was firmed up during the 28th UC Executive Board meeting on 20–21 November 2015 attended by 21 participants from the 7 member organizations. Bogor Agricultural University played host to the annual meeting held at the IPB Convention Center at IPB Baranangsiang Campus.

In line with this, the consortium also inked an accord with AGRINATURA, a European consortium of research institutions and universities. The agreement is anticipated to pave the way for future collaborative activities, particularly on joint and dual/double degrees, summer schools, and other mobilities.

In this era, the consortium can help strengthen the move of higher education towards internationalization,” said Prof. Dr. Anas Miftah Fauzi, IPB’s Vice Rector for Research and Collaboration, during the opening ceremonies of the executive board meeting.

Dr. Anas also stressed that the ASEAN Economic Community is a good venue to even further cooperation among higher education institutions in the region.

The University Consortium adopts the umbrella program on climate change and reviews progress of the umbrella program on food and nutrition security

The University Consortiun representatives with SEARCA Officials and staff, resource persons and guests during its Special Meeting to discuss the umbrella program on CChAM and umbrella program on food and nutrition security.The University Consortiun representatives with SEARCA Officials and staff, resource persons and guests during its Special Meeting to discuss the umbrella program on CChAM and umbrella program on food and nutrition security.

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia – The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (University Consortium) champions collaborative research and development on food and nutrition security and climate change adaptation and mitigation for an inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (ISARD) in the region.

The University Consortium adopted the Umbrella Program on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation for Southeast Asia (CChAM) in its special meeting on 14 August 2015 at the School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

The Umbrella Program on CChAM is envisioned as a platform for collaborative research, knowledge management, and capacity development on climate change adaptation and resiliency in Southeast Asia. It was crafted using a combination of methods: review of existing climate change program frameworks; survey conducted among the University Consortium and other partner universities and development institutions; consultation with SEARCA Senior Fellows; and consultation-workshop organized by SEARCA jointly with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam, supported by the Food Security Center of the University of Hohenheim, and participated in by 59 participants from the academe, government agencies, international research centers, and development and donor organizations/programs.

The Umbrella Program on CChAM is anchored on the ASEAN Multi-sectoral Framework on Climate Change (AFCC) and is reflective of areas where institutions can work together, pool resources, and address gaps or move in directions where their joint efforts in R&D provide a strategic advantage for climate resiliency in SEA. Overall, the Umbrella Program on CChAM comprises four thematic areas, 21 sub-themes, and 70 projects and activities.

The University Consortium, in the same meeting, reviewed the progress of seven collaborative projects under the Umbrella Program on Food and Nutrition Security that it adopted since August 2014. These projects are implemented by two or more members of the University Consortium and are focused on food reserves, indigenous crops, post-harvest system improvement, implications of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on regional food and nutrition security (FNS), enhancing human resources for regional FNS, and knowledge center on FNS.

Dr. Juan Pulhin, Professor of UPLB-College of Forestry and Natural Resources, and SEARCA Adjunct Fellow and Technical Coordinator of the Umbrella Program on CChAM, presenting the framework for collaboration, key thematic areas, sub-themes and projects of the umbrella program.Dr. Juan Pulhin, Professor of UPLB-College of Forestry and Natural Resources, and SEARCA Adjunct Fellow and Technical Coordinator of the Umbrella Program on CChAM, presenting the framework for collaboration, key thematic areas, sub-themes and projects of the umbrella program.

UPLB concludes first wave UC summer school

 

uplb concludes first wave uc summer school

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – After a three-week intensive course, 16 Southeast Asian participants completed the Post Graduate Course on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). The three unit credit earning course is envisioned to move from one member of  the University Consortium (UC) to another, with UPLB implementing the first full blown course.

uplb concludes first wave uc summer school 1This course pushes forward UPLB’s efforts toward internationalization,” affirmed Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., Chancellor of UPLB, during the closing program of the summer school on 15 July 2015. Graduate students, faculty, and staff from even Southeast Asian countries participated in the summer course, namely: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines. A lecturer from the Kasetsart University also served as resource person of the post graduate course.

Dr. Alfredo E. Pascual, President of the UP System complimented the collaborative effort between and among UPLB, UC, and SEARCA which made possible the said post graduate course. President Pascual delivered the inspirational message during the closing program.

uplb concludes first wave uc summer school 2Apart from the different lectures, the various field trips were able to widen my horizon further,” said Ms. Chia Siew Lian, a graduate student of Universiti Putra Malaysia who attended the course. “I will also cherish the friendship and memorable experiences with my fellow participants.”

University Consortium Graduate Forum wraps up

University Consortium Graduate Forum wraps up

SELANGOR, Malaysia – The Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) opened its doors to more than 40 graduate students, faculty, and officials from the five university consortium members of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) for the "1st University Consortium Graduate Forum on Life Science, Food Science, and Agriculture" (UCGF 2015) on 11-12 August 2015.

"Be proud, because you are the energetic and young scientists that comprise one of the strongest economic regions in the world," exclaimed Prof. Dato Dr. Mohd. Fauzi Hj. Ramlan, UPM Vice Chancellor and the current Chair of the SEARCA Governing Board, during the Opening Ceremonies of the two-day program.

Prof. Dato Dr. Mohd. Fauzi Hj. Ramlan, UPM Vice Chancellor and the current Chair of the SEARCA Governing BoardProf. Dato Dr. Mohd. Fauzi Hj. Ramlan, UPM Vice Chancellor and the current Chair of the SEARCA Governing BoardThe UCGF 2015 was held at the UPM Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, with graduate students and officials from UPM, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) both in Indonesia, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand as participants.

Dr. Didier Pillot, Vice President of the European consortium Agrinatura, in his keynote speech discussed the current challenges and opportunities of student and faculty mobilities. According to Dr. Pillot, mobilities do not just result to the acquisition of technical skills but more importantly, they should lead to new skills and competencies that can become useful tools in the student’s professional life.

These tools include learning a foreign language and intercultural awareness, ability to adapt to changes and new situations, capacity to work in teams and deal with complex problems, capacity to think critically and communicate effectively, and the added value in the disciplinary progress.

"To all universities, there is no escape to internationalization," underscored Dr. Pillot. Organizing this at the regional scale is a good starting point because a number of emerging concerns occur at the regional level. He also emphasized that the organization has to come from the universities themselves as regard to mutual recognition of courses, assessment schemes, quality assurance, and other academic concerns. Harmonization, rather than standardization, may be more effective, where the differences between universities are respected, but compatibility within the system is addressed. He said that in the end, students remember more not what is taught in the universities, but rather the learning environment that the university was able to provide.

Dr. Didier Pillot, Vice President of the European consortium AgrinaturaDr. Didier Pillot, Vice President of the European consortium AgrinaturaApart from the pleneary sessions, a total of 34 graduate students presented their respective research papers on the parallel sessions on life science, food science and agriculture.

The UCGF aims to provide an opportunity for graduate students from UC members to share new knowledge, research ideas, and experiences in an open platform; offer academic training and develop the next generations of scholars; encourage trans-disciplinary studies and promote greater integration of research through strategic partnership among the UC members; and strengthen the relationship between and among the UC members.

After the forum, a UC special meeting is staged on 13-14 August 2015, to discuss the status and details of the UC activities on the Dual Degree Program, explore collaborative activities with Agrinatura, as well as discuss updates on the researches under the Umbrella Program on Food and Nutrition Security and present the draft Umbrella Program on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation for Southeast Asia.

SEARCA welcomes 9 more new scholars for AY 2014-2015

New SEARCA scholars at UPLB for 2nd Semester 2014-2015New SEARCA scholars at UPLB for 2nd Semester 2014-2015

As second semester of Academic Year 2014-2015 commences, SEARCA awarded nine more graduate scholarships to students from Lao PDR (2), Myanmar (4), Vietnam (1), Timor Leste (1), and the Philippines (1).  All new scholars are posted at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

Six of these scholars are under the Upland Fellowships project supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, under its second cohort. The graduate scholar from the Philippines is under the Graduate Scholarship in Livestock Research and Biotechnology for the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC-SEARCA scholarship). The scholars from Timor Leste and Vietnam are supported by the regular SEARCA scholarship program.

The Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD), SEARCA’s department in charge of the administration and management of the graduate scholarship program, conducted the orientation for the new scholars on 18 February 2015 to ensure that everyone is familiarized with Center policies and guidelines related to their study program and scholarship.

With these, SEARCA has now granted a total of 58 new scholarships for the current academic year, which brings us to a total of 128 current scholars, as of February 2015. 

The new scholars starting second semester AY 2014-15 are:

Name

Nationality

Gender

Degree Sought

SEARCA Scholarship

Agustinho Moniz

Timor Leste

M

PhD Agronomy

Do Thi Thanh Huyen

Vietnamese

F

PhD Agricultural Economics

SEARCA-IDRC Scholarship

Gyaw Shine Oo

Myanmar

M

MS in Agronomy

Khin Hnin Yu

Myanmar

F

MS in Agronomy

Khampasith Sengsouvanh

Lao PDR

M

Master of Agriculture (Agronomy)

Saengdavanh Inthavong

Lao PDR

M

MS Environmental Science

Naing Moe

Myanmar

M

Master of Agriculture (Agronomy)

Cho Cho Myint

Myanmar

F

Master of Agriculture (Horticulture)

PCC-SEARCA Scholarship

Jennifer F. Maramba

Philippines

F

MS Animal Science

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  • UC Secretariat
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  • College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031 Philippines
  • Email: mcnc@searca.org, gsid@searca.org
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