The 36th Executive Board Meeting of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) took place on 30-31 October 2023 and was hosted by the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. Delegates from regular member institutions attended the meeting including Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), IPB University (IPB), and Universitas Brawijaya (UB) all from Indonesia, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).
The meeting also extended invitations to the two UC Associate Members, Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI) in Japan and the National Taiwan University (NTU). In addition, five Affiliate Members graced the occasion, namely, Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Visayas State University (VSU), and Central Mindanao University (CMU), all from the Philippines, Maejo University (MJU) in Thailand, and University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), diligently serving as the Secretariat of the UC, was represented by Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Center director and UC chief executive officer, Dr. Nur Azura Adam, deputy director for programs and UC executive officer, and Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, senior program head of Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD) and UC coordinator.
During the meeting, members presented a host of new initiatives for consideration. CLSU shared insights into the International Summer Short-term Program (ISSP), a successful program they organized in the past, and most notably, for three consecutive years, marked by active participation from UC members as attendees and resource speakers. Meanwhile, UPLB unveiled the concept of a pioneering program known as UC Data Analytics and Informatics Study Network (UC DAINS) alongside the implementing guidelines for their 2022 proposal on the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program. NTU also provided a tour of its intelligent energy-saving greenhouse technology, which showcases a real-time monitoring platform, a solar power system technology, a mobile robotic arm, a pollination system, a drone cruise crop positioning mechanism, and crop disease identification mechanism, all integrated into a dynamic crop cultivation calendar.
In a significant development, the UC Executive Board proudly welcomed three new regular members, namely, CLSU and VSU from the Philippines and Maejo University in Thailand. These institutions achieved satisfactory ratings following a rigorous three-year period as affiliate members. Similarly, CMU earned satisfactory ratings after its first year and will continue its affiliate member status for another two years. With the burgeoning number of UC member universities, the Executive Board reiterated its commitment to each other. The member universities renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further collaborate in joint activities such as joint graduate degree courses and/or dual/double degree programs in agriculture, natural resources, and other fields relevant to the UC. This collaboration was first formalized with the signing of the initial MOU on 19 November 2013 and has flourished over the years.
Throughout the years, the UC has garnered increasing attention within the academic community. Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) from Malaysia expressed their intent to join the consortium and presented their programs and activities online for membership consideration during the 36th UC Executive Board Meeting. UiTM showcased a compelling proposition for the UC with its extensive network of campuses, offering a wealth of opportunities for research collaborations, student mobility, and capacity building.
In terms of its annual planning, the UC Executive Board mapped out the annual activities for 2024–26. This foresight allows host universities more time to design and prepare for their roles. In 2024, NTU will host the Summer School, while UGM in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, will be the venue for the Graduate Forum. UPM will organize the Faculty Forum in Malaysia, and the Executive Board meeting will convene in the Philippines, hosted by UPLB. Host universities for subsequent years' activities will be reconfirmed at the next Executive Board meeting.
