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| Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) | |
|---|---|
| Name | SEARCA |
| Formation | 1966 |
| Headquarters | Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Leader title | Director |
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is a regional institution established to strengthen graduate education and promote agricultural and rural development across Southeast Asia. Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, it operates within a network of academic, intergovernmental, and development organizations to enhance innovation in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation-adjacent development efforts. SEARCA’s work interfaces with national ministries, universities, and research institutes across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, contributing to policy dialogue and capacity building.
SEARCA was established following consultative processes that involved actors such as the United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and representatives from founding member states including the Republic of the Philippines, Kingdom of Thailand, and Republic of Indonesia. Early collaborations linked SEARCA to institutions like the International Rice Research Institute and University of the Philippines Los Baños as part of postwar modernization efforts. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s SEARCA aligned with initiatives from the Asian Development Bank and World Bank in regional agricultural research, and later partnered with bodies such as Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization to expand graduate scholarship programs. In the 21st century SEARCA adapted to agendas advanced by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and the Sustainable Development Goals process, deepening ties with universities like Bogor Agricultural University and Universiti Putra Malaysia.
SEARCA’s mandate derives from agreements among member states to bolster postgraduate training and applied research linked to agricultural development in nations including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Myanmar. Its objectives explicitly include scholarship administration, human resource development with partners such as Khon Kaen University and Vietnam National University, facilitation of technology transfer with institutes like Institute of Plant Breeding (Philippines), and policy support for ministries exemplified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Thailand). SEARCA targets capacity building relevant to programs sponsored by Global Environment Facility and collaborations with agencies such as Japan International Cooperation Agency.
SEARCA is governed by a Governing Board composed of representatives from member countries including officials from Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Thailand), Department of Agriculture (Philippines), and counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia, and Viet Nam. The Director heads the Secretariat and coordinates divisions that liaise with partners like International Food Policy Research Institute and CIRAD. Operational units include scholarship management linked to universities such as Chulalongkorn University, research and development programs engaging with University of the Philippines Los Baños, and knowledge management that collaborates with archives like the National Library of the Philippines. Advisory committees have featured experts associated with World Agroforestry Centre and International Rice Research Institute.
SEARCA administers scholarship programs supporting postgraduate study at institutions including Universiti Putra Malaysia, Bogor Agricultural University, and Kasetsart University. It runs capacity-building workshops in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organization field offices and conducts training courses involving stakeholders from Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Cambodia) and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Lao PDR). Project activities span value-chain development with enterprises linked to Asian Development Bank projects, climate-smart agriculture pilots aligned with Green Climate Fund priorities, and community-level interventions that have involved local governments like the Province of Laguna. SEARCA also organizes regional conferences attended by delegations from Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretariat, research institutes such as Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, and non-governmental organizations.
SEARCA produces policy briefs, technical reports, and monographs on themes addressed by partners like International Food Policy Research Institute and WorldFish. Its publications cover agroforestry case studies involving collaborators such as CIFOR and assessments related to rice systems connected to International Rice Research Institute. Peer-reviewed outputs and working papers have involved faculty from University of the Philippines Los Baños, Kasetsart University, and Universiti Putra Malaysia. Knowledge products often inform programs by agencies including the Asian Development Bank and initiatives sponsored by United Nations Development Programme.
SEARCA’s collaborations include academic partners like Chulalongkorn University, Bogor Agricultural University, and Universiti Putra Malaysia; intergovernmental partners such as Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center; and development agencies including Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and United Nations Development Programme. Research networks involve International Rice Research Institute, World Agroforestry Centre, and WorldFish, while private-sector linkages have connected SEARCA to agri-enterprises and foundations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for program support. Memoranda of understanding with national research councils and ministries of member states underpin collaborative activities.
SEARCA alumni include scholars who assumed leadership roles in institutions such as University of the Philippines Los Baños, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Kasetsart University, and ministries including Department of Agriculture (Philippines) and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Thailand). Its impact is visible in curricula reforms at universities like Bogor Agricultural University, in policy inputs to regional dialogues hosted by Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in capacity enhancements documented by partners such as Asian Development Bank. The alumni network engages through platforms associated with conferences, research consortia, and agencies including Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization.
Category:Agricultural organizations