CLSU Hosts 4th UC Faculty Forum

As an affiliate member of the University Consortium (UC), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), for the first time, hosted the 4th Faculty Forum with the theme "Future Proofing Agriculture" held on December 5–7, 2022. The 3-day event served as an avenue for UC faculty members to share ideas and practices through parallel sessions and paper presentations. More than 40 UC officials, faculty members, and guests attended the forum with participants coming from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan, among others. During the opening ceremony, University President Edgar A. Orden welcomed the participants at the CEd Teachers Hall. In his welcoming remarks, he expressed his appreciation to the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education (SEARCA) for trusting the forum to CLSU. He also proudly shared that the strength of the university is its experts, researchers, and specialized R&D centers that generate knowledge and technologies contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, delivered welcome remarks and provided an overview of SEARCA and UC. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of agriculture, specifically the role of farmers in one’s nation. “The heartbeat of any country depends on the conditions of the farmers. A happy farmer is a happy nation” said Dr. Gregorio. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Robert C. Kemerait Jr., a University of Georgia professor, served as a plenary speaker. His talk revolved around recruiting the best and the brightest in agriculture. He presented some possible solutions to encourage the youth, especially the cream of the crop and those who have brilliant minds, to enroll in agriculture. Some of the solutions he presented are one-on-one mentoring, rebranding agriculture, and offering scholarships to the students. A total of 37 papers were presented during the said event, of which 9 were listed for session 1 which addresses the issue of enhancing food security by addressing food loss and waste; 9 for session 2 which discusses ways on enhancing the sustainability of agricultural activities in the face of urbanization and climate change; 10 for session 3 which focuses on Ensuring Zero Hunger through Precision Agriculture and the Application of Smart Cutting-Edge Technologies; and 9 for session 4 which highlights strategies on Encouraging Young People to Engage in Agriculture. A tour of the specialized R&D centers of the university capped off the event.