SEARCA Co-organizes International Summer Short-term Program

27 July 2023

Hosted by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), the third-year edition of the CLSU-SEARCA-UC International Summer Short-term Program (ISSP) has been organized in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC). The program runs from 24 to 31 July 2023 and offers an intensive training opportunity for international students interested in any of this year's track offerings: freshwater aquaculture, goat production, and mushroom pharming.

Thirty-one participants from nine countries in Southeast Asia and Africa represent eleven universities, including Universiti Putra Malaysia, IPB University, Universitas Gadjah Mada, National Taiwan University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Maejo University, Xiamen University Malaysia, Visayas State University, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, and CLSU.

(From left) Dr. Evaristo Abella, CLSU officer-in-charge, and Dr. Ravelina Velasco, acting vice president for academic affairs

During the opening session, Dr. Evaristo Abella, CLSU officer-in-charge, welcomed the participants and challenged them to share whatever they would learn from the program to benefit their respective communities. Meanwhile, Dr. Armando Espino Jr., vice president for research and extension, shared the various CLSU research and development initiatives aimed at addressing global concerns related to food security and efficient resource utilization in food production. Furthermore, Dr. Ravelina Velasco, acting vice president for academic affairs, shared her experiences from the previous two runs of the program, which were held online during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic when she served as the pioneering track head in aquaculture.

(From left) SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio, and Ms. Blessie Saez, senior program associate of the Center's Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD)

Through a recorded video message, SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio, congratulated CLSU for spearheading the conduct of the program and conveyed his good wishes to the participants. Ms. Blessie Saez, senior program associate of the Center's Education and Collective Learning Department (ECLD), gave an overview of SEARCA's work and its role in the UC as well as the current membership, programs, and activities of the consortium.