Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
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| Abbreviation | SEARCA |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Science and Education for Agriculture and Development" |
| Formation | 27 November 1966 |
| Type | Non-profit inter-government treaty organization |
| Purpose | Graduate Education and Institutional Development, Research and Development, and Knowledge Management |
| Headquarters | Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines |
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Region served
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Southeast Asia |
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Main organ
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Governing Board |
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Parent organization
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Southeast Asian Minister of Education Organization SEAMEO |
| Website | www |
SEARCA or the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture is one of the oldest among 21 regional centers of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). Founded on 27 November 1966, SEARCA is mandated to strengthen institutional capacities in agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia.
For its Tenth Five-Year Plan (FY2014/2015 - FY2018/2019), SEARCA works to strengthen institutional capacities toward inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (ISARD) in Southeast Asia through graduate education and institutional development, research and development, and knowledge management. These programs are anchored on SEARCA's strategic thrusts that promote social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and cross-cutting concerns that impact Southeast Asia.
SEARCA serves the 11 SEAMEO member countries, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste. The Center is hosted by the Government of the Philippines on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna, Philippines.
During the First and Second FYPs (1969-1974 and 1974-1979), SEARCA’s priority thrust was the generation and transfer of productivity-enhancing agricultural technologies, reflecting the Center’s desire to take advantage of the newly developed high-yielding varieties at that time (called “Green Revolution”).
NRM projects implemented were in the areas of Sustainable Land Use and Water Management, Climate Change and Risk Management, and Biodiversity Conservation, while Agricultural Competitiveness projects covered Trade and Investment, Technology Management, Governance, Institutional Reforms, and Policy Studies.
In July 2014, SEARCA began implementing its Tenth FYP (2014/2015-2018/2019), which focuses on the overarching theme of Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (ISARD). The Center is currently headed by Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director, having been appointed to an unprecedented third three-year term.
Now celebrating its 50th founding anniversary, SEARCA continues to carry out its mandate to strengthen capacities of institutions working toward agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia through its core programs on graduate education and institutional development, research and development, and knowledge management.
Graduate Education and Institutional Development Through its Graduate Education and Institutional Development (GEID) Program, SEARCA provides degree and non-degree scholarships to qualified Southeast Asians working in agriculture and rural development, including grants for full graduate programs, PhD research, and academic bridging and sandwich programs. In addition, SEARCA is also implementing the joint scholarship projects with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Philippine Carabao Center (PCC). As of academic year 2016/2017, SEARCA has awarded a total of 1,619 master’s and PhD scholarships to Southeast Asians.
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