SEARCA OKs MMSU’s membership in prestigious University Consortium
By Jareason Fabre
Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) has officially been approved for membership in the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC). The announcement was made via email today, December 12, 2025, by the UC Executive Board.
Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, formally welcomed MMSU to the consortium. The decision was reached during the 38th Executive Board Meeting held from November 18 to 20, 2025, at Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), Japan.
The University Consortium, supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), is a network of leading universities in agriculture, natural resources, and environmental sciences. The consortium currently connects 16 top institutions across Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and Germany, promoting faculty and student mobility, joint research, and capacity-building initiatives.
MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr., a SEARCA alumnus (2003) and SEARCA Professorial Chair Grantee (2020–2021), spearheaded the university’s bid for membership. As of writing, MMSU has seven SEARCA alumni, including Dr. Manzano and Dr. Peter James Icalia-Gann, Chief of MMSU’s Center for Cellular and Molecular Medical Research and UC Coordinator. “We look forward to becoming a regular member and joining the ranks of the UC’s leading universities,” Manzano said.
MMSU and SEARCA have been working together for years, strengthened by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on May 6, 2025, to collaborate on education, training, and research. Starting January 2026, MMSU will join the UC as an Affiliate Member, giving the university access to programs, grants, and collaborative activities.
Dr. Gann added, “Regular members are top universities in Southeast Asia with strong graduate programs in agriculture and natural resources. We are confident that MMSU is well on its way to meeting these standards and contributing fully to the UC’s academic and research initiatives.
The UC Executive Board also encourages MMSU to expand its graduate programs and increase graduate student enrollment during its Affiliate Membership period.
By 2026, MMSU faculty, staff, and students will be able to avail themselves of UC grants and activities, further strengthening the university’s role in regional research and education.
Dec, 15, 2025 09:13:am
Written By:
STRATCOM
