A STUDENT from the Visayas State University joined the prestigious international academic and cultural exchange on agriculture.

Sean Jade Nicole Picorro-Lejas, a fourth-year BS Agriculture, represented VSU in the 2025 Summer Enrichment Program of the Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities.

The two-week academic and cultural exchange gathered student delegates from across Asia for intensive discussions and hands-on learning on sustainable farming, agribusiness, and green entrepreneurship.

Sean’s SEP experience included lectures on food systems, product development workshops, farm visits, and cultural immersions with Northern Samar’s farmers and communities. For him, the program reshaped how he viewed agriculture.

“I gained not only technical knowledge but a deeper, more personal understanding of what it truly means to work in agriculture,” he shared.

He also expressed gratitude to VSU’s Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science Dean Dr. Suzette B. Lina, Dr. Joel Rey Acob, and the FAFS Supreme Student Council led by Stephen Piquero, for their support, as well as to UEP President Dr. Cherry I. Ultra and AAACU mentors who guided the participants.

Sean’s participation underscores VSU’s strong international presence and its commitment to preparing students to contribute to global conversations on food security and sustainability.

“I’m going back to VSU with a renewed drive to keep learning and to be part of the solutions for a more food-secure and sustainable Philippines,” he added.

Through programs like AAACU-SEP, Viscan students are showing that they can collaborate with peers across Asia while carrying with them perspectives rooted in the Philippines.