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BOGOR, INDONESIA. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (University Consortium or UC) and the Food Security Center of the University of Hohenheim in Germany, and in collaboration with Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), held the Integrative Forum on Food and Nutrition Security for Southeast Asia on 30 September 2019 at IPB – Baranangsiang Campus, Bogor, Indonesia.
As its Umbrella Program on Food and Nutrition Security for Southeast Asia (FANSSEA) 2014-2019 nears it closing, SEARCA realized that it is high time for the Center to evaluate if FANSSEA has indeed achieved its goal of aligning its and the University Consortium's programs of work on food and nutrition security with the development needs of the region. The Integrative Forum aimed to assess the impacts of implementation of the six SEARCA-UC Research Projects and explore further research collaborations within the region.
Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head of the Research and Development Department (RDD) of SEARCADr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head of the Research and Development Department (RDD) of SEARCA, warmly welcomed the participants and guests and thanked the host university, IPB, for extending assistance for FANSSEA's culminating activity.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, Vice Rector for Collaboration and Information System of IPBIPB, who graciously hosted the event, was represented by Prof. Dr. Ir. Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, Vice Rector for Collaboration and Information System. In his message, he acknowledged the importance of food and food security especially to the social and economic aspects of the community.
Dr. Paul S. Teng, Managing Director and Dean of NIE International and SEARCA Senior Fellow, served as the Technical Coordinator of the event. He explained the rationale and provided an overview of the forum. In his presentation, he explained how FANSSEA was formulated to complement the components of the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework (AIFS) and Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the ASEAN Region (SPA-FS) 2015-2020. He then presented a three-part Regional Perspective on Food and Nutrition Security in Southeast Asia which included the current status of food and nutrition in ASEAN, agriculture situation and food security initiatives in ASEAN, and how to prepare for the future.
Dr. Paul S. Teng, Managing Director and Dean of NIE International and SEARCA Senior FellowThe six research projects under the FANSSEA Umbrella Program were each presented by representatives from the UC members who led them. They were as follows: (1) Dr. Rimbawan of IPB for Indigenous Crops; (2) Dr. Warapa Mahakarnchanakul of Kasetsart University for Post Harvest System Improvement; (3) Dr. Aida Azrina Azmi of Universiti Putra Malaysia for Safeguarding and Sustaining the Integrity of Halal; (4) Ms. Anna Floresca F. Firmalino of University of the Philippines Los Baños for Enhancing Human Resource Development in Agriculture; (5) Dr. Masyhuri of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) for Implications of AEC and Trade and Investments; and (6) Ms. Bernice Anne C. Darvin of SEARCA for Food Reserve Management and Policies in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, Program Head of the Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD) of SEARCAA breakout session was likewise conducted during the forum to discuss how to develop an enhanced framework for collaboration on food and nutrition security in Southeast Asia and what are the new and urgent research topics that SEARCA and the members of the UC can work on. The first group identified four major areas of research to wit: food production; food handling, processing, storage, and transport; food trade and marketing; and consumption behavior. The second group, on the other hand, suggested a wider range of topics: food safety risk assessment; standardization of food systems; aquaculture and fisheries; plant-based protein; edible insects; industrial revolution 4.0; agriculture investment standards; technology commercialization; and capacity building on intellectual property.
To close, Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, Program Head of the Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD) of SEARCA said that all the output will be integrated and will be disseminated to the partner universities, including identified research gaps, action plans and priority study areas for collaborative research projects and/or scaling up activities. The outputs will also serve as basis for the preparation of SEARCA's research agenda for its 11th Five-Year Plan.
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MS FSCC project members together with the Kasetsart University President. (L-R) Dr. Francis Sigit Setyabundi, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM); Dr. I Putu S., Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB); Asst. Prof. Dr. Pornsiri Suebpongsang, Chiang Mai University; Asst. Prof. Dr. Chutima Tantikitti, Prince of Songkla University; Prof. Dr. Robiah Yunus, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); Dr. Elaida C. Fiegalan, Central Luzon State University (CLSU); Mr. Sovannara Moun, University of Battambang (UB); Dr. Mark Dondi Arboleda and Dr. Portia G. Lapitan, University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB); Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, Kasetsart University President; Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, Program Head of GEIDD in SEARCA; Dr. Nguon Samnang, Royal University of Agriculture (RUA); Dr. Hatma Suryatmojo, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM); Dr. Nahrowi, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB); Mr. Saiful Maskan, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); Dr. Poonpipope Kasemsap, Kasetsart University (KU).
BANGKOK, Thailand – The Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MS FSCC) conducted its final project meeting on 3 - 4 October 2019 at Kasetsart University (KU) in Bangkok, Thailand. The MS FSCC is a joint degree project offered by five members of the University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC): Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in the Philippines, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Malaysia, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in Indonesia.
The final meeting discussed the project accomplishments vis-a-vis the planned targets and the difficulties and challenges met in the project implementation which are to be included in the project report. Dr. Poonpipope Kasemsap, Project Coordinator and Leader of the MS FSCC, presided during the meeting and provided an overview of the project, outcomes, and outputs. Dr. Mark Dondi Arboleda, UPLB Graduate School Secretary, presented a draft of the students’ handbook with comments coming from the project team members. Prof. Dr. Robiah Yunus, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, presented the established MS FSCC curriculum in their institution. In the afternoon, the project members participated in a webinar hosted by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) regarding the preparation of the final report.
Project members from UGM, UPM, Chiang Mai University, and IPB discussing the MS FSCC outcomes
On the final day of the project meeting, Dr. Didier Pillot of Montpellier SupAgro, discussed the next steps and prospective cooperation and new projects arising from the MS FSCC.
The MS FSCC project is partially-funded by the European Commission’s ERASMUS + Capacity Building for Higher Education. The ERASMUS project is being led by Kasetsart University (KU) and is participated by 11 other partners from Southeast Asia and 5 partners from Europe. For more information about the MS FSCC project, visit: https://msfscc.org. (Paula Grace M. Muyco)
Dr. Didier sharing about moving forward from the MS FSCC project
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Attendees of the 5th UC Graduate Forum from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kasetsart University, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Tokyo University of Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Brawijaya University, and the host IPB university. Photo: Gerald Salas
Bogor, Indonesia – The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) together with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) organized the 5th University Consortium Graduate Forum (UCGF) on 1-2 October 2019.
Since 2015, the UC annually conducts a graduate forum to provide graduate students from UC member institutions an opportunity to share their knowledge, expertise, research, and experiences. This year’s 5th UCGF followed the theme “Sustainable and Smart Agriculture in the Tropical Region: Concept and Implementation”. It was also co-supported by the Food Security Center (FSC) of the University of Hohenheim in Germany.
A total of 47 research studies were presented under four subthemes during the parallel sessions attended by students from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kasetsart University, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Tokyo University of Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Brawijaya University, and IPB University. This event was also NTU’s first attendance in the UC Graduate Forum.
The 5th UCGF was the first for National Taiwan University to send delegates in a UC organized graduate forum. In photo: UPLB delegates Lawrence Yves Uy (center) and Gerald Salas (front-right) together with the NTU delegates: (L-R) Margo Sulistio, Hsu Hsiuyu, Yan Pui So, Hsien Hua Lai, and Hsing Weikang. Photo: Gerald Salas
Keynote speakers also imparted their expertise on the subthemes with Dr. Aimee Lynn A. Barrion-Dupo, Secretary of the Graduate School, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) discussing Production Systems, Prof. Yandra Arkeman from Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University talking about Logistic and Supply Chain, Prof. Dr. Datuk M Nasir Shamsudin from the Department of Agribusiness and Bioresource Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) sharing on Sustainable Agribusiness, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siree Chaiseri, Vice President for Research and former Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry from Kasetsart University (KU) discussing Agroindustry 4.0
(L-R) Dr. Dupo, Prof. Dr. Shamsudin, and Prof. Dr. Chaiseri served as Resource Speakers for the Parallel Sessions on Production Systems, Sustainable Agribusiness, and Agroindustry 4.0. Photo: IPB
Following the parallel sessions, the students also held a meeting to establish the Asian Student Graduate Forum Association to strengthen the network of graduate students initiated during the UCGF.
The 5th UC Graduate Forum paved the establishment of the Asian Graduate Students Association to strengthen the network of graduate students who met during the graduate forum. Photo: IPB
Other universities who have hosted the UCGF since 2015 are Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Selangor, Malaysia, Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand and Universitas Brawijaya (UB) in Malang, Indonesia. For more information about UC organized events, scholarships, programs, and projects, visit https://uc.searca.org. (Paula Grace M. Muyco)
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SEARCA, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), has successfully concluded the 2019 UC-MSFSCC Summer School and Training of Trainers (ToT).
Forty-four (44) students from 15 universities under the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) and from partner universities under the Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MSFSCC) project successfully completed the Summer School. This year's offering with theme "Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Vulnerable Areas" was held in the Philippines last 15 – 31 July 2019 and was jointly organized by UPLB, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and SEARCA.
SEARCA hosted the first leg of the Summer School where short lectures, group discussions and interactive exercises were conducted as preparation for the students' field work. The students looked at the impacts and challenges of the changing climate and globalization to food security and the sustainability of small farms in Southeast Asia. They considered the ecological and socio-economic dimensions of typical agro-food systems in the region and the possible indicators to assess the sustainability state of these dimensions. The students were divided into eight (8) groups and were deployed to different field sites in Camarines Sur, one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change but also one with a robust and pro-active disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) programs in the Philippines. Students were briefed by local officials on the risk profile and the status of the DRRM programs in Camarines Sur, with special focus on the rice and cacao farming systems. The students also conducted surveys and multi-sectoral focus group discussions with farmer leaders, input providers, traders, processors, barangay nutritionists, and market retailers. They also did a 2-nights homestay with farmer families that served as subjects of their case studies. Data gathered was then processed and analyzed and results of the studies were presented in a public conference held on 28 July 2019 with local officials, farmer families and other stakeholders in attendance.
During the closing program held at the SEARCA headquarters, Dr. Poonpipope Kasemsap of Kasetsart University (KU) of Thailand and MSFSCC Project Leader, expressed confidence that all the Summer School participants would become successful individuals in the future. However, he asked them to work to uplift the plight of farmers. For her part, Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, SEARCA Program Head for Graduate Education and Institutional Development, mentioned that she was touched when she saw how the students warmly welcomed and hugged the farmer families who came for the public conference, and commented on how they may have touched each others' lives during the course of the field work. She then exhorted the students who would be going back to their different home countries to go and continue touching people's lives.
The Summer School is an annual event of the UC that started in 2015 and is hosted by the UC members on rotation basis. It has now evolved to become a 2-unit credit core course in the MSFSCC program. On the other hand, the ToT, which was held simultaneously with the Summer School, discussed how to plan and implement this MSFSCC core course, including technical and administrative challenges for such a transdisciplinary action-learning field course. It considered both the content and pedagogy related to the course, as well as issues on budgeting, programming, student assessment and reporting. The ToT was led by experts from Montpellier SupAgro (MSA) and KU. Twenty-five (25) faculty members and staff from UC and MSFSCC partners, including 19 from overseas institutions, served as Summer School organizers and ToT participants. Another set of 23 faculty members from UPLB and a staff from FAO served as resource persons and group facilitators.
The UC was founded in 1989 and consists of UPLB, UGM, KU, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) as regular members with Tokyo University of Agriculture (NODAI), National Taiwan University (NTU), Universitas Brawijaya (UB), University of British Columbia (UBC), and Gottingen University (UG) as associate and affiliate members. SEARCA serves as Secretariat of the Consortium.
The MSFSCC project is partly funded by ERASMUS+ under its Capacity Building for Higher Education component. The project is led by KU with the other regular members of the UC, Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Chiang Mai University (CMU), Nilai University, Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) and University of Battambang (UBB) as university partners in the region, and with BOKU, MSA and UG as university partners in Europe. SEARCA, Agrinatura and Agreenium are network partners of the project.
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Sixty-six faculty members from eight member universities of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) converged at the SEARCA Headquarters for the First UC Faculty Forum on 23 – 24 July 2019.
The Forum, co-hosted by SEARCA and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, provided a venue for faculty members from the UC to come together, exchange research ideas and develop strategic partnerships for collaborations. With the theme on Responding to the Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there were 4 plenary speakers and 43 papers presented in parallel sessions under 4 sub-themes. In addition, there were two roundtable sessions that discussed possible key areas of strategic collaboration among the UC members. Among those proposed were cross visits, co-supervision of thesis, co-authorship of papers, research collaboration on topics that transcend boundaries such as on studies involving the Mekong River or the South China Sea, and the extension of the current UC project on the Joint Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MSFSCC) to a Doctor of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (DSFSCC) program. There were at least three panelists who also suggested that the UC should use its influence to be an advocacy group for policies that would prioritize the agriculture sector or benefit the small holder farmers in the region.
The UC was established in 1989 to be a leader in implementing collaborative strategies for excellent graduate education and cutting-edge research in agriculture, environment and natural resources for the benefit of the Southeast Asian region. Its members include Institut Pertanian Bogor and Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, University of the Philippines Los Baños, and Kasetsart University in Thailand. It also has Tokyo University of Agriculture and National Taiwan University as associate members while Universitas Brawijaya of Indonesia, University of British Columbia in Canada and Gottingen University in Germany are affiliate members. SEARCA serves as Secretariat of the UC.
