|
 
Students Cross-enrol in Other CountriesSEAMEO ProgrammeWhile still pursuing his doctorate degree at the University of the Philippines Los Bahos (UPLB), Philippines, Fefix Afable cross-enrolled at Kasetsart University (KU) in Bangkok, Thailand, for research. Looking back now, Afable, who studied at UPLB for his PhD in animal science from November 1992 to October 1995, describes the cross-enrolment scheme as a 'fertile ground for acquiring and exchanging expertise within Southeast Asia.'
He stresses: 'It helps to promote co-operation and progress in our region. The vast wealth of human experts in the region cannot be denied. If the region is to maintain its economic growth and prosperity, its experts in academia should share what they know, and their work should be recognized.'
Indonesian Sri Anggrahini, a faculty member of the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, also had a short stint at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) at Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. 'I'm very glad that I was able to have the golden opportunity to participate in the Faculty Exchange component of the University Consortium,' she stated. 'Through this arrangement, I was able to interact with my counterparts from neighbouring countries. This interaction between faculty members contributes to and encourages intensive and effective presentation of lectures.'
Afable and Sri Anggrahini are only two among the increasing number of professionals in Southeast Asian countries who have benefited from the programmes of the of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources which started a decade ago.
The University Consortium is a commitment made between leading Southeast Asian institutions of higher education to share academic expertise and resources to improve the capacity of graduate degree programmes in agricultural and natural resources to keep up with the region's rapid growth and development. It was launched on September 19, 1989, on the initiative of the Los Bahosbased Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), one of the 11 regional centres of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
SEAMEO is an intergovernmental body founded in 1965 to promote co-operation among Southeast Asian nations in education, science, and culture. Member states are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Associate members are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Beginning with five initial members, the University Consortium eventually, evolved into a network linking seven strong universities in Southeast Asia, Canada, and Australia.
The initial members were UPLB, KU, UGM, UPM, and Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) at Bogor, Indonesia. Associate members are University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada; and University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
The consortium aims to provide highly trained manpower in agriculture and natural resources to aid the national development of Southeast Asian countries and promote mutually beneficial co-operation among universities in the region for faster and steadier institutional development.
The consortium has five components, namely: student exchange, faculty exchange, professorial chairs, research fellowships, and thesis grants.
SEARCA director Percy E. Sajise said that under the student exchange component, graduate students in agriculture and related sciences in any of the consortium universities can cross-enrol for courses or research at another consortium university where the students' fields of specialization are considered academic strengths in that university. Units earned for courses at the host university are credited to the student's degree programme.
Dr Safise said the consortium students have the advantage of broadening their outlook and professional competence because of the solid educational support gained from the host university. The quality of their degree programmes is also enriched because of the free exchange of information, facilities, and expertise available within the consortium. As of July 1998, 31 students had cross-enrolled in consortium universities for courses and research.
Under the faculty exchange component, consortium faculty members can visit other member universities for short- or long-term periods. The faculty member may be affiliated with and teach courses in his/her field of specialization and in accordance with the host university's needs. Advisors to students on exchange can visit and confer with their charges and interact with the host university's academic staff. To date, 55 faculty members of the university consortium members have been awarded travel grants for cross-visits.
Fifty professorial chairs have also been awarded since the programme was set up..
Funding awarded to a professorial chair must be used to give intensive support to a high priority area of research in which the faculty member's expertise lies. The awardee must also teach at least one graduate course in his/her area of specialization and deliver at least one public lecture on the subject of the research conducted during the period of the award.
Qualified consortium faculty members are also given the opportunity to spend a period of up to one year at another member university to do research in an area of mutual interest.
The programme's thesis support component was started in 1995.
Qualified thesis/dissertation researches of consortium graduate students are eligible for funding under the University Consortium. These researches should focus on any of the following areas which are highly relevant to SEARCA's thrusts: sustainable upland development, coastal resources management, gender and development, sustainability indicators, research utilization, and food security.
Applicants who are nationals of SEAMEO countries are given preference.
As of July 1998, 46 consortium students had availed themselves of the thesis grants programme.
The members of the University Consortium pay annual membership fees to sustain the various component activities. Initial funds have come from SEAMEO SEARCA, SEAMEO's Special Funds, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the ASEAN-Canada Fund. (SEARCA News and Features)
INNOTECH, Diliman. Quezon City Tel. No. 985222
SEARCA, Los Baņos, Laguna Tel. No. 2576, 2290, 2380, 2554
SPAFA c/o National Museum, Taft Ave., Manila Tel. No. 3811310-11
TROPMED c/o UP College of Public Health, Pedro Gil, Manila Tel. No. 502703
|