TWO faculty members from Silliman University have been awarded a prestigious short-term study grant by the Commission on Higher Education to attend an advanced training program in New Zealand.

Rafael Nepomuceno and Chester Wing Siong Señerez of the College of Agriculture were among 31 recipients of CHED’s Higher Education Upskilling and Study for Advancement of Staff and Faculty Grant Program.

The program allowed scholars to participate in an Advanced Short Course on Sustainable Dairy Production Systems at Massey University’s Manawatū campus in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

The training aimed to enhance expertise in dairy production systems by comparing New Zealand’s successful pasture-based model with existing systems in the Philippines, offering critical insights for improvement.

“This course significantly built our capability as faculty and researchers. It aligned with efforts to improve dairy production expertise in the Philippines, using comparisons as a learning tool to understand the effects of environmental, nutritional, and management factors on dairy production,” Nepomuceno said.

The course covered essential topics such as animal biosecurity, pasture growth, grazing management, supply chain management, reproductive management, and environmental sustainability. Participants engaged in lectures, workshops, and hands-on field trips.

CHED required participants to develop a Re-Entry Action Plan before attending, ensuring the knowledge gained would be applied to curriculum development, research initiatives, and outreach programs for local dairy farmers.