The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Nagoya University (NU) officially signed a memorandum of agreement on 13 October 2025 to establish the Nagoya University-SEARCA Joint Transnational PhD Scholarship for Philippine Nationals. The formal signing reaffirmed the two institutions’ enduring partnership, which traces its roots back to 1986.
Tailored for working professionals in engineering, agriculture, international development, and environmental studies, the transnational PhD scholarship program enables participants to earn their doctorates without leaving their current employment or home countries. The innovative initiative blends face-to-face supervision with online engagement and provides Filipino students the opportunity to visit Japan during their studies.
In her remarks, Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, underscored SEARCA and NU’s shared commitment to advancing agricultural education and research for sustainable development. Over the past four decades, their joint PhD scholarship program has produced outstanding agricultural leaders from the Philippines and Cambodia, who continue to contribute significantly to their countries and the Southeast Asian region.
“This initiative will facilitate the empowerment of the next generation of leaders who will catalyze agricultural transformation,” said Sombilla. “It aligns with SEARCA’s 12th Five-Year Development Plan focused on the Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), aiming to build a climate-resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agricultural sector.”
She also expressed gratitude for NU’s enduring trust in SEARCA and recognized the university as one of the Center’s most active and reliable partners.
Looking forward, Dr. Sombilla proposed the expansion of the program to include Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste, as well as the potential offer of MS scholarships. She also highlighted ongoing discussions with the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to secure additional funding and increase scholarship availability for Filipino scholars.
At the signing ceremony, NU was represented by Dr. Yamauchi Akira, Director of the Asian Satellite Campuses Institute (ASCI) and Asia Collaborative Development Department (ACDD), Global Multi-Campus Institute. He was joined by Dr. Michibayashi Katsuyoshi, Vice Dean, Graduate School of Environmental Studies; Dr. Mary Jean Bulatao, Director of NUASC-Philippines; and other faculty and staff. SEARCA was represented by Dr. Sombilla; Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, Deputy Director for Programs; Assoc. Prof. Joselito Florendo, Deputy Director for Administration; Dr. Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, Senior Program Head of the Education and Collective Learning Department; Ms. Sharon Malaiba, Unit Head for Partnerships; and Partnerships Unit staff.#
