Delegates of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) gathered on 18–20 March 2024 for its first workshop for the ERASMUS+ Capacity Building Project on Postgraduate Micro-Credentials for Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC). The workshop venue was the Graduate School of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). The PMC FSCC Project aims to deliver learner-centered short-term courses through micro-credentials to address food security and climate change concerns. It also intends to utilize advances in digital technologies to develop and offer online modules that will address the twin issues of
SEARCA has marked the completion of one of its Institutional Development Assistance (IDA) projects, the Leveling-up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR), funded by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The project, under CHED's International Continuing Professional Education (ICPE) program, spanned from 2021 to 2023 and included short-term training programs, mobility exchanges, summer schools, faculty-graduate forums, cross-visits, and active participation in the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC). The project's overarching aim was to enhance the relevance and competitiveness of the country's higher education institutions (HEIs)
SEARCA attended the kick-off meeting led by Kasetsart University (KU) for the Postgraduate Micro-Credentials on Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) project, held from 31 January to 1 February 2024. The initiative, funded by the European Commission ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE), spans from 2023 to 2026, aiming to deliver learner-centered short-term courses through micro-credentials to address food security and climate change concerns. The project also intends to utilize advances in digital technologies to develop and offer online modules that will address the twin issues of food security and climate change. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA center
SEARCA, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Graduate School, organized a workshop titled "New Year, New You: Coping Strategies to Improve Mental Health" on 9 January 2024 at SEARCA, College, Los Baños, Laguna. Prof. Dr. Firdaus Mukhtar, professor of Clinical Psychology and deputy dean for Admission, Institutional Relations & Financial Aid Unit at the School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and president of the Asian Cognitive Behavior Therapies Association, spearheaded the workshop. Drawing on her expertise, Prof. Dr. Firdaus guided the attendees on effective ways to manage their mental health. During the session,
Thirty participants from 20 members of the State Universities and Colleges - Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines (SUC-ACAP) convened during the Culminating Forum of the Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources or LevelUPHEI-AFAR on 15–16 November 2023. This project of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The attendees, comprising project alumni who undertook mobilities at the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) host member universities, gathered to discuss the trajectory
SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair GrantAY 2022-2023 Revolutionizing Agriculture Pushing the boundaries with UPM's Dr. Helmi Zulhaidi Mohd Shafri Dr. Helmi Zulhaidi Mohd Shafri is an Associate Professor and the Coordinator of the Remote Sensing and GIS Programme at the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He previously served as the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering and the Deputy Dean of Postgraduate Studies at UPM. His excellent achievements in the field of agricultural innovation, specifically in remote sensing and geomatics engineering, afforded him the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair Grant. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Helmi's passion
SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair GrantAY 2022-2023 Revolutionizing Agriculture The Science and Art of Mushroom Farming with CLSU'S Dr. Renato G. Reyes Dr. Renato G. Reyes, Professor VI and the Vice President for Academic Affairs of Central Luzon State University, Philippines, received the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair Grant in AY 2022-2023 for his immense contributions to the field of Mycology. Dr. Reyes specializes in mushroom science and biotechnology, mushroom nutraceuticals, fungal ecology and taxonomy, and fungal plant pathogens. Most notably, he has authored the manual on the Philippine National Standard for Natural Ingredients titled "Standard for Edible Fungi and Code of
SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair GrantAY 2022-2023 Revolutionizing Agriculture The Future of Farming with UPM's Dr. Siti Khairunniza Bejo Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Siti Khairunniza Bejo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). She is also the Head of the Smart Farming Technology Research Center (SFTRC) and a research associate at the Institute of Plantation Studies of UPM. Dr. Bejo's outstanding accomplishments related to the applications of Imaging Technology and Remote Sensing to agriculture afforded her the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair Grant. Her research specialization includes imaging technology, precision
LOS BAÑOS, Philippines– SEARCA, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and with support of the University Consortium (UC) has successfully completed the one month Summer School on Food and Nutrition Security for Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia. This pilot offering was completed by 10 participants from 7 countries, namely: Indonesia (1), Lao PDR (1), Germany (1), Malaysia (1), Myanmar (1), Philippines (3), and Thailand (2).
The post graduate course, which commenced in 6 October 2014, involved six modules and a roster of high-profile resource persons from UPLB and other institutions including Kasetsart University of Thailand, International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) in Silang Cavite, and the Philippines Department of Agriculture with Assistant Secretary Romeo Recide giving a lecture on the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security (SPA-FS), 2015-2020.
The different lectures were complimented with group discussions, case studies, and field visits to relevant sites such as IIRR, Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna, and one of Asia’s leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate, Charoen Pokphand Foods, Incorporated.
“We drew the best for this course, and I have never seen such a high level of commitment from all the collaborating institutions,” said Dr. Percy E. Sajise, during the course’s Closing Ceremonies held on 29 October 2014 at the SEARCA Residence Hotel. Dr. Sajise served as the coordinator and lecturer of the said summer course.
Having been involved from the conceptualization and implementation, Dr. Sajise expressed fulfillment after seeing how the participants were able to integrate in their project proposals what they have learned from the different lectures and field trips.
Meanwhile, UPLB Chancellor Rex Victor Cruz, in his message, reminded the participants that continuous learning is essential. “SEARCA has effectively promoted the pursuit of continuous learning and we thank SEARCA for partnering with UPLB in this endeavor,” he added.
The summer course is foreseen to be one of the staple offerings of SEARCA in collaboration with UC and its member universities. UC will work towards making the summer school an accredited graduate course among the UC members in order to attract more graduate students to join.
“Thank you for teaching us to do everything sustainable,” said Maryono, a Lecturer from the Bogor Agricultural University.
On the other hand, as a sign of appreciation for what she has learned, Meryl Bernardino, a graduate student from the UPLB looks forward to putting up her own vegetable garden once she goes back to Pangasinan.
Kuan Chee Hao, a PhD student from Universiti Putra Malaysia said the summer school was a good platform to learn about food and nutrition security. “When I go home, I will promise to plant seeds of sustainable development in my heart, water it every day and hopefully influence my colleagues to do the same.”
