In a major move to boost the Philippines’ scientific capacity, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) and the DOST-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) formalized strategic partnerships with Michigan State University (MSU) and Kyoto University (KU).
From left to right: Engr. Albert Marino, (Deputy Director, DOST-SEI), Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora (Executive Director, DOST-PCAARRD), and Prof. Nagahiro Minato (President, Kyoto University). (Image credit: IDD, DOST-PCAARRD)
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marks the official launch of the PhilDOST-MSU Collaboration and PhilDOST-KU Graduate Scholarship Program, aimed at expanding the International Graduate Research and Education Assistantship for Technology (iGREAT) program and strengthening joint research, capacity-building, and innovation efforts.
Under the agreements, participants committed to jointly implementing the programs based on mutual benefits. The initiative focuses on developing high-quality human resources in the Philippines by offering capacity-building programs that confer Master’s and Doctoral degrees from MSU and KU to qualified Filipino scholars upon successful completion of the degree requirements.
“This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to nurturing globally competitive scientists and researchers in agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources,” said DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora. “We are proud to work with world-class institutions like MSU and KU to open doors for Filipino talents and innovations.”
From left to right: The three MSU Officials, Dr. Reynaldo Ebora (Executive Director, DOST-PCAARRD), Dr. Jayeel Cornelio (Director, DOST-SEI). (Image credit: IDD, DOST-PCAARRD)
The partnerships outline priority areas of collaboration tailored to each institution’s strengths. For MSU, these include biosensors and diagnostics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and biosafety, biological sciences, aquatic and marine sciences, agricultural sciences, and technology transfer and commercialization. Meanwhile, collaboration with Kyoto University will focus on agricultural science and applied fields such as agronomy and horticulture, forest and biomaterial sciences, environment and natural resources, food science and biotechnology, and molecular biology and biotechnology.
The signing of the agreements represent a significant step forward in DOST’s strategy to internationalize Philippine science, elevate research quality, and address national development goals through global partnerships.