SEARCA champions global learning pathways at DepEd-led forum

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) participated in the “Borderless Pathways: Global Scholarships and Exchanges for Educators” held on 29 May 2026 at Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH).

Organized by the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), the event brought together DepEd alumni, international partners, and key stakeholders to serve as a one-stop platform connecting educators with scholarship and exchange opportunities worldwide.

In a session in which DepEd’s partner organizations delivered their respective scholarship pitches, SEARCA presented its suite of scholarship and grant opportunities designed to build capacity in agricultural and rural development across Southeast Asia.

SEARCA highlighted four key pathways for engagement: full graduate scholarships; PhD research scholarships; student mobility and exchange opportunities; and grant support programs, namely the Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT), the Travel Grants Program, and the Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS).

These programs remain key components of SEARCA’s 12th Five-Year Development Plan: Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), which envisions strengthening agricultural systems through evidence-based, collaborative approaches. The presentation emphasized that the Center’s scholarships and grants go beyond individual capacity-building and contribute to SUSTAIN Southeast Asia’s 4Ps outcomes: improving livelihoods (Pocket), enhancing food security (Plate), strengthening the climate resilience of agri-food systems (Place), and empowering stakeholders and institutions (People) across the region.

Fellow specialist centers under the SEAMEO network—including INNOTECH, Regional Centre for Special Educational Needs (SEN), Regional Centre for Sufficiency Economy Philosophy for Sustainability (SEPS), and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Manila; and Fulbright Philippines, joined the pitching session.

SEARCA’s participation in the event reaffirms its commitment to advancing regional cooperation and expanding access to quality education and capacity-building opportunities to support sustainable agricultural development.