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

Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR)

The Leveling Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR) is a project by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The project focuses on the capacity development of faculty/staff members of Philippine higher education institutions, specifically those from the State Universities and Colleges - Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines (SUC-ACAP) in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and agricultural engineering. SUC-ACAP is an association of 75 higher education institutions, both public and private, offering agriculture programs in the Philippines. The project will involve linking Philippine HEIs with international university networks through participation in training programs, summer schools, forums, cross-visits, and faculty and student mobilities. Foremost of these international networks is the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC).

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SUC-ACAP and UCOne of the main objectives of the UC since its establishment in 1989 is to share resources and collaborate on student and faculty exchanges among leading agricultural universities. SEARCA, which serves as UC Secretariat, proposed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be drafted between SUC-ACAP and the UC during the 33rd UC Executive Board Meeting in 2020. The MOU will enable SUC-ACAP members to participate in UC activities, as well as send faculty/staff to the UC members on mobility, with funding from CHED through SEARCA.

The MOU provides for the following:

  1. To facilitate academic exchanges between their respective members, and between themselves, encouraging mobility of research and teaching staff;
  2. To exchange good practices and organize joint/dual/multiple degrees offered jointly by their members and facilitate all activities of mutual interest and benefit that can contribute to approach this goal; and
  3. Execute separate agreements in writing for any undertaking jointly implemented, wherein a sharing of responsibilities shall be specified.

 

SUC-ACAP members, through the LevelUPHEI AFAR project, may participate in the following:


Summer School

April 2022 to June 2023

UC Summer SchoolThe UC Summer School is an annual program of the University Consortium that started in 2015. It is a postgraduate course designed to enhance the understanding of students and other professionals in rural studies, agriculture, and natural resource management on the importance of the interdisciplinary approach in tackling the issue of food and nutrition security in Southeast Asia for sustainable development.

Selection Criteria

  1. Junior faculty or researchers of SUC-ACAP member institutions who have recently completed (within the last two years) or are currently enrolled in Master's studies in in agriculture, agricultural economics, natural resource management, rural development, food and nutrition security, and related fields;
  2. With regular full-time appointment on active status (not on leave) with the sending institution, as certified by the Director of the Human Resource and Development;
  3. Willing and able to render return service of one year in the sending institution;
  4. Proficient in spoken and written English (all sessions will be conducted in English);
  5. Clearly expressed willingness to participate actively in the mobility program, including commitment support from direct superior;
  6. Endorsed by the University President; and
  7. Must not be a recipient of other International Continuing Professional Education (ICPE) programs by CHED.

Graduate Forum

April 2022 to June 2023

UC Graduate ForumThe UC Graduate Forum is an annual activity of the University Consortium that started in 2015. It provides a venue for graduate students from UC member universities and other UC partners to come together to present their research results. The Forum is an opportunity to share new knowledge, research ideas, and experiences in an open platform. It also encourages transdisciplinary studies and promote greater integration of research through strategic partnership among institutions; and strengthen the relationship between and among the institutions.

Selection Criteria

  1. Junior faculty or researchers of SUC-ACAP member institutions who have recently completed (within the last two years) or are currently enrolled in graduate studies in fields related to sustainable management of natural resource systems, food and agriculture policy, biotechnology in agriculture, food and health, information and communication technology, bioinformatics, and data management in agriculture;
  2. With regular full-time appointment on active status (not on leave) with the sending institution, as certified by the Director of the Human Resource and Development;
  3. With an ongoing or recently thesis research for which a paper could be written for oral presentation;
  4. Willing and able to render return service of one year in the sending institution;
  5. Proficient in spoken and written English (all sessions will be conducted in English);
  6. Clearly expressed willingness to participate actively in the mobility program, including commitment support from direct superior;
  7. Endorsed by the University President; and
  8. Must not be a recipient of other International Continuing Professional Education (ICPE) programs by CHED.

Faculty Forum

April 2022 to June 2023

UC Faculty ForumThe Faculty Forum is an activity of the UC that started only in 2019. Due to the success of the UC Graduate Student Forum, the Consortium decided to put up a similar forum for its faculty members. Thus, this Forum provides an opportunity for faculty members from member universities of the UC and other partners to come together to exchange research results, develop camaraderie, encourage transdisciplinary studies, and promote greater integration of research through strategic partnerships and collaborations. The first Faculty Forum held in 2019 gave rise to five collaborative researches, four of which were granted seed fund by the UC while the other was funded by the Taiwan government.

Selection Criteria

  1. Senior faculty members or researchers of SUC-ACAP member institutions, with at least a Master's degree or ongoing with their graduate studies;
  2. With regular full-time appointment on active status (not on leave) with the sending institution, as certified by the Director of the Human Resource and Development;
  3. With an ongoing or recently completed research study for which a paper could be written for oral presentation;
  4. Willing and able to render return service of one year in the sending institution;
  5. Proficient in spoken and written English (all sessions will be conducted in English);
  6. Clearly expressed willingness to participate actively in the mobility program, including commitment support from direct superior;
  7. Endorsed by the University President; and
  8. Must not be a recipient of other International Continuing Professional Education (ICPE) programs by CHED.

Faculty Mobility

January 2022 to June 2023

Under this component, selected faculty members from SUC-ACAP member institutions could spend one month OR one semester in any of the seven (7) UC members in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Selection is based on a proposal to be submitted by the applicant and acceptance from the host UC member university.

The one-month mobility is to come up with a collaborative program, either in research, extension, or other curricular activities between the project grantee's home institution and the UC member. Ideally, the faculty grantee is to be engaged in an ongoing research or curricular program of the host university.

UC Faculty Mobility

UC Faculty Mobility

UC Faculty Mobility

The one-semester mobility provides an opportunity for junior faculty members to conduct research, take courses for credit, and be mentored by a UC member. Under this component, junior faculty members doing their thesis research for their graduate studies could avail of the facilities of these host UC member universities. They could also be supervised by expert scientists or researchers from the host universities. It is hoped that these co-supervisors could also be appointed as affiliate or adjunct faculty members of the relevant SUC-ACAP member universities and participate later in the respective student's thesis defense. This latter scheme could initiate a collaboration between the SUC-ACAP member and the matching UC member university.

Selection Criteria

  1. Senior (for one-month mobility) or junior (for one-semester mobility) faculty members or researchers of SUC-ACAP member institutions, with at least a Master's degree or ongoing with their graduate studies;
  2. With regular full-time appointment on active status (not on leave) with the sending institution, as certified by the Director of the Human Resource and Development;
  3. Willing and able to render return service of one year in the sending institution;
  4. Proficiency in spoken and written English;
  5. Clearly expressed willingness to participate actively in the mobility program, including commitment support from direct superior;
  6. Endorsed by the University President; and
  7. Must not be a recipient of other International Continuing Professional Education (ICPE) programs by CHED

Culminating Forum

August 2022 and August 2023

The Culminating Forum is a showcase of best practices in two final conferences. It includes presentations of participants' experiences and reflections during the project activity they attended, highlighting their learnings that they have cascaded down to their respective institutions.


Application Procedure

Applicants of the UC Activities must fill out online the UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM ACTIVITY - REGISTRATION FORM and choose the specific UC activity they will pursue. Check the online application guide to learn more about navigating the online application portal.

General Requirements

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Re-entry Action Plans (REAPs)
  3. Nomination Form
  4. Scanned (1) valid government identification (ID) card with sample signatures from the SHEI Head and the grantee

Additional Requirements per UC activity

  1. Faculty Mobility
    • Proposal - identify your objectives for the mobility and your target outcomes. You may consider both your personal/professional needs as well as your institution's. Include in your proposal the specific activities you hope to conduct to give the host university an idea on what you plan to do. These activities may be related (but are not limited) to the benchmarking of curricular, research and extension projects related to your discipline and can be developed/replicated in your university in partnership with the host university; involvement in particular research; attending a particular class lecture and/or delivering a seminar; arranging a bilateral MOU; drafting a collaborative project between your university and the host university; or for those with ongoing graduate studies, identifying a host supervisor and doing research. These are just examples, and you may further expound on other activities in line with your/your university's needs.
  2. Graduate Forum and Faculty Forum
    • Abstract of your paper presentation, which resulted from your research study

Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MS FSCC)

Background

The Southeast Asian region is annually affected by climate extremes, particularly, floods, droughts, and tropical cyclones, threatening the livelihoods of poor people living in rural areas, as well as food security in the region. As such, the vulnerability of agriculture to climate variability and change, and food security are issues of major importance that need the attention of the international scientific community, among the many other stakeholders. Achieving food security amidst climate change, requires a global solution through the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures. As a professional domain, food security and climate change require interdisciplinary skills, which can be achieved through both degree and non-degree trainings.

The Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change (MS FSCC) project, funded by the European Commission's ERASMUS + Capacity Building for Higher Education from 2016 to 2019, is designed to help develop the next generation of high-quality, interdisciplinary professionals able to address the imposing challenges of climate change and food security in their country and the Southeast Asian region.

The project was an initiative of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), led by Kasetsart University (KU) and SEARCA. It is envisaged to be a joint degree among the members of the UC, namely: KU in Thailand, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), and Universitas Gadja Mada (UGM) both in Indonesia. Other project partners include six (6) other universities in Southeast Asia, three (3) universities from Europe, the French institute IAVFF-AGREENIUM, and AGRINATURA — a consortium of European universities.

With the conclusion of the ERASMUS+ project on MS FSCC in 2019, the program offering and its activities will continue under UC's projects which involves other leading universities such as Universitas Brawijaya in Indonesia, UC regular member since 2019, and National Taiwan University and Tokyo University of Agriculture, UC associate members.

Project Highlights (2016-2019)

MS FSCC was first offered as a dual/double degree using the MS programmes already recognized at the different FSCC Universities. The joint study program was simultaneously developed for accreditation in the Universities. It involves a compulsory mobility for students in at least two universities, co-supervision of thesis and conferment of a joint degree. Students also had the opportunity to study in a partner European university for a semester. Three Summer Schools were conducted by the project: Integrated Forestry Farming System: A Transition to Food Security in a Changing Climate in 2017 at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia; Oil Palm-Cattle Integration: A Transition Towards Sustainability in Food Security and Climate Change in 2018 at Universiti Putra Malaysia; and in 2019, Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Vulnerable Areas organized by SEARCA and the University of the Philippines Los Banos. These activities were conducted back-to-back with the Training of Trainers (ToT).

Students received funding to cover their airfare and cost of stay in their host university during the mobility period and attendance to two Summer Schools. The project also offered one-semester mobility for graduate students from partner universities, namely: Central Luzon State University in the Philippines, Nilai University in Malaysia, Royal University of Agriculture and University of Battambang both in Cambodia, and Chiang Mai University and Prince of Songkla University both in Thailand.

For the duration of the project, a total of 119 students were trained. 81 of these (degree and non-degree) were under the MS FSCC project while 21 were under SEARCA's Institutional Development Assistance (IDA) program, 9 as UC non-MSFSCC delegates, and 8 were funded by a European Institution.

55 individuals participated in the one-semester mobility. Mobilities from SEA to EU Universities were participated by 28 individuals with Montpellier SupAgro directly funding 15 of them. Mobilities from EU universities to SEA were participated by 5 individuals. There were also 119 delegates who joined the Summer Schools from 2017-2019, some attending more than once as part of the MS FSCC requirements. Lastly, 95 lecturers underwent training from 2017-2019.

Food and Nutrition Security

The University Consortium supports the Umbrella Program on Food and Nutrition Security for Southeast Asia 2014-2019 and has approved the implementation of the following collaborative projects starting 2015:

No.

Project title

Proponent

UC Collaborators

Other collaborators

1

POST HARVEST SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT – Best Practices in Fresh and Dried Chili in Southeast Asia: Quality and Safety Aspect

Kasetsart University (KU)

UPLB, UGM, IPB, and UPM

TBD

2

Implications of AEC and Trade and Investments on Regional Food Security

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)

KU, UPM, IPB, UPLB

GMS  countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam

3

Enhancing Human Resource Development In Agriculture: Imperatives for Regional Food and Nutrition Security

University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)

KU, UPM, IPB, UGM

 

4

Safeguarding And Sustaining The Integrity Of Halal Food 

Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM)

Tokyo NODAI, KU, IPB, UGM, UPLB

 

5

INDIGENOUS CROPS – Food Production, Food Safety and Process Development of Indigenous Crops to Strengthen Food and Nutrition Security

Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB)

UGM, UPLB

 

Who We Are

IPB logo
UGM logo
UPM logo
KU logo
UPLB logo
 
University of Brawijaya Logo
MJU logo
VSU logo
CLSU logo
TUA logo
 
NTU logo
CMU logo
UBC logo
Georg August Logo
SEARCA logo

Contact Us

  • UC Secretariat
  • Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
  • College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031 Philippines
  • Email: mcnc@searca.org, gsid@searca.org
  • Tel:
    • Manila Line: +63 2 8657 1300 to 02
    • Laguna Line: +63 49 554 9330 to 39
      +63 49 536 2290 local 2200 to 2203
  • Fax: +63 49 536 7097