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Mr. Jean-Jacques Forte (top left), Cultural Counsellor, Ms. Marina Battesti (top right), Attaché for Higher Education and Linguistic, and Ms. Sarah Mahe (top center), Attaché for Science and Research Cooperation, all of the French Embassy in Manila, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 29 October 2018 to discuss possible collaboration on research and development initiatives that include post-disaster training courses or seminars or other related preventive assistance and support for farmers and local communities. The French officials were received by SEARCA officials and staff, including Ms. Adoracion T. Robles, Officer-in-Charge (bottom right), Office of the Deputy Director for Administration, and Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr. (bottom left), former SEARCA Director, who has continued to support the SEARCA as a Senior Fellow.  SEARCA has been a long-time partner of France in research and capacity building programs. This year, SEARCA signed a formal agreement with Agropolis Fondation of France and Universiti Putra Malaysia to offer PhD fellowships to Southeast Asians, including Filipinos, students who will conduct their research under the joint supervision of scientists, researchers or professors from their respective home university and from any of the 41 higher education institutions and research units that are part of the foundation’s scientific network, including University of Montpellier, Montpellier SupAgro, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA).