MMSU’s SEARCA University Consortium affiliate membership opens int’l training opportunity for CAFSD asst. prof
By Daniel Tapaoan, Jr., 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳
Following its membership in the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), MMSU College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) Assistant Professor Frances Batara participated in the training program, “Transformational Agricultural Innovation System (TrAInS) for the New Future,” held in Malaysia last April.
Asst. Prof. Batara joined 19 participants from the UC member institutions during the online training sessions on April 6, 8, 13, and 15. She also attended the in-person sessions conducted from April 27 to 30 at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Selangor, Malaysia.
During the program, participants engaged in expert-led discussions, workshops, collaborative learning activities, and site visits. These activities enabled them to explore how agricultural innovation systems can support the development of resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agri-food systems across Southeast Asia.
In her message, Asst. Prof. Batara expressed her gratitude to SEARCA for the training grant and to MMSU for supporting her application. She added that the training emphasized the importance of adopting and properly utilizing new technologies to achieve meaningful and sustainable agricultural innovations.
“Through the training, I learned that efforts toward agricultural innovation should be integrative, collectively impactful, and sustainable,” Asst. Prof. Batara said.
Meanwhile, CAFSD Dean Charlie Batin commended Asst. Prof. Batara’s participation in the international training program, crediting MMSU’s consistent role in promoting agricultural innovations for sustainable development.
Asst. Prof. Batara also shared that she plans to implement the proposed agricultural innovation system action plan at MMSU and help strengthen the university’s partnerships with SEARCA UC member institutions.
MMSU became an affiliate member of the UC on December 12, 2025. UC 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.
Jun, 22, 2026 01:02:pm
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