Searca Elects Donludee Jaisut as Board Chair
The Southeast Asian regional agriculture center held its 74th Governing Board Meeting in Brunei Darussalam on September 29-30.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in People
Searca held its 74th Governing Board Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on September 29-30, reviewing its Fiscal Year 2025/2026 performance. Donludee Jaisut of Thailand was elected Governing Board Chair for 2026-2028.
Why it matters
The meeting sets policy direction for a regional center that has served Southeast Asia for six decades, shaping agricultural graduate study and research across member states. The leadership transition determines how the center's next policy cycle is guided.
The 74th Governing Board Meeting marks the center's continuity over six decades of service, with Jaisut's term running from 2026 through 2028. The specific budget or performance figures reviewed for Fiscal Year 2025/2026 were not disclosed in the source material.
The players
Searca
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, based in Laguna, is one of the regional centers of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
Donludee Jaisut
Donludee Jaisut of Thailand was elected Governing Board Chair for the 2026-2028 term, overseeing the next cycle of policy guidance for the center.
The details
Lyda Hok, Country Representative of Cambodia and Chair of the Searca Governing Board, presided over the meeting hosted by Brunei's Ministry of Education with logistical support from the Institute of Brunei Technical Education. Searca Deputy Director for Programme and Development John Arnold Siena represented the Searca Secretariat, and Center Director Mercedita Sombilla is listed among its leadership.
Timeline
September 29-30, 2025: Searca's 74th Governing Board Meeting is held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.
2026-2028: Donludee Jaisut serves as Governing Board Chair.
Regional Network
Searca operates as one of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization regional centers, a network that coordinates agricultural education across member states. The 2026-2028 leadership rotation continues that network's practice of passing governance across member countries.
The leadership change shapes the policy guidance that determines how Searca's agricultural graduate programs and research priorities are set through 2028. For readers following regional agricultural education, the transition signals continuity in the center's governance structure.
The takeaway
Leadership rotations at regional education bodies carry policy continuity, and tracking who chairs these boards offers a practical window into where institutional priorities are heading.
Further reading
Explore more profiles of People shaping regional institutions and their leadership transitions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
