Author: Jomar Rabajante

The UPLB Graduate School (GS) officers (JF Rabajante, RJD Flores, and PA Custodio) visited the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on 16-21 January 2023 to establish new partnerships and expand existing collaborations. The meetings that they attended aimed to explore and pursue collaborative activities on Data Science, Communication, Humanities, One Health, and Future Communities. On 18 January, Dean Rabajante also delivered a talk at the Modelling Infectious Diseases in South East Asia (MIDSEA) Seminar Series hosted by the Temasek Foundation and NUS. Moreover, during this visit, Assoc Dean Flores participated in the Global Young Scientists Summit held at SUTD, where he was able to meet and build relationship with global scientists. During this trip they have also set meetings with UPLB alumni and other professional Filipinos in Singapore.

During the soft launching of the new UPLB Graduate School building on 12 December 2022 and as part of the GS50 celebration, a time capsule was sealed, which will be opened after 25 years (2047). This contains memorabilia and wishes from our GS staff, faculty, alumni and students.

The GS International Student and Cultural Center (aka new GS bldg) was launched on 12 December 2022.

The UP Board of Regents approved the offering of new graduate degree programs in UPLB.

Visit: https://gs.uplb.edu.ph/programs

The Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) held two simultaneous events in Universitas Brawijaya, Malang Indonesia:

(i) UC Summer School (13-27 November 2022). UPLB students Leoveliza Fontanil (MS Agronomy) and Marjorie Pamplona (MS Agronomy) participated in the summer school. The summer school is co-organized by L’Institut Agro of France, with the theme “Diversification of Crops, Mixed Cropping, and Risk Management in Smallholder Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change”.

(ii) 35th UC Executive Board Meeting (25-26 November 2022). Chancellor Camacho, VCCA Cereno, VCPD Paras, and GS Dean Rabajante attended the meeting. In the meeting, Dean Rabajante (as the UPLB UC Coordinator) reported UC-related activities of UPLB and grants provided by UC to UPLB during the the period 01 November 2021 to 31 October 2022. Chancellor Camacho also proposed a Postdoctoral program for UC members, and the establishment of the UC Data Analytics and Informatics Study Network (UC DAINS).