Cambodian scholars attend first international conference in the Philippines

Philippines (Sept 23, 2013): Eleven Cambodian students will attend the First Annual Fellowship and Conference-Workshop on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture Development in the Uplands at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños, Laguna on 24-26 September 2013.

The students are pursuing their master’s programs at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) under the Southeast Asian Upland Agriculture Fellowship funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and implemented by SEARCA.

The students will join 13 other IDRC-SEARCA scholars from Laos and Vietnam. Three of the Lao and Vietnamese scholars are studying at UPLB and the rest are studying at Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, and Kasetsart University, all in Thailand.

SEARCA Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. and Rita Bowry, Head of IDRC’s Fellowships and Awards Program, will be on hand to welcome the students as well as members of the Fellowship Advisory Committee, including Dr. Mom Seng, Vice Rector of Royal University of Agriculture (RUA).

Speakers and experts will discuss contemporary issues and challenges in sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia as well as the role of research and extension in addressing food security concerns in the uplands of Southeast Asia. The comparative use and application of indicators and methodologies in assessing sustainable upland agriculture and food and national security will also be discussed. A visit to an ongoing upland project in Laguna will cap the three-day conference.

Five of the Cambodian scholars began their studies in November 2012 while six started in June 2013. They are pursuing master of science programs in applied nutrition, environmental science, agricultural economics, agronomy, food science, and animal science. (Article provided by  Science and education for agriculture and development)