Explored fascinating world of insects and their crucial role in agriculture and the ecosystem
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)’s Youth in Agri Talk Show returned for its second episode on 16 February 2024. The SEARCA Youth in Agri Talk Show aims to promote agriculture and its importance to Southeast Asian youth, particularly those in basic education.
The episode titled “Winged Warriors: The Unsung Heroes of Agri-Land” discussed fascinating world of insects and explored their crucial role in agriculture and the ecosystem. Dr. Nur Azura Adam, SEARCA deputy director for programs and an entomologist, featured as guest expert.
Dr. Nur highlighted the importance of educating young people on the contributions of insects to agriculture and the ecosystem. There is a misconception that most insects are pests. Only 5% of them are harmful to the ecosystem. The majority of insects are beneficial to agriculture and play a significant role in regulating and balancing the ecosystem” Dr. Nur remarked.
Students from HFSE International School based in Singapore, SMK Seri Jempol based in Malaysia, and Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba based in the Philippines participated during the episode. They explored an opportunity to pose their agriculture and insect-related questions directly to Dr. Nur.
“Since the SEARCA Youth in Agri Talk Show is a non-academic and nonconventional approach to learning, it provides a more relaxed platform where students can ask what’s lingering in their minds and engage with agriculture experts,” Dr. Nur said.
In addition, SEARCA has a Education and Collective Learning Department’s scholarship programs. Recently Dr. Nur Adam has discussed the Center’s joint scholarship grants, citing the collaborations with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Tokyo University of Agriculture (Tokyo NODAI), National Taiwan University, and Sejong University in Korea. Dr. Nur also highlighted SEARCA and the European Commission ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education’s three-year initiative titled “Postgraduate Micro-Credentials on Food Security and Climate Change”, which utilizes digital technologies to develop and offer online modules that aim to address food security and climate change.
