Chinaman serves as visiting researcher at KU, Thailand

Through the initiative and determination of Mr. Ventura C. Chinaman, faculty member from the Department of Fisheries, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) collaborated with the College of Agriculture of the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) to pursue mobility activities as visiting researcher at the Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries in Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand becoming the first grantee of the Leveling Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR) project funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

“One of the highlights of the mobility program is to gain knowledge and experience in conducting quality research. This intervention enhanced my research capability and expanded my knowledge through applications of immunological tests for blood samples,” according to Mr. Chinaman as he acquitted two research in just one semester, both focusing on the immunity of hybrid catfish in different evaluation approach under the guidance of Assistant Professor Dr. Prapansak Srisapoome. Exposed to the rich culture of Thailand and its advanced technologies for aquaculture, Chinaman maximized his learning experience not only by research but also through visiting other universities and agencies in the country to observe the technicalities and modernity of fish farms and immerse in Thai lifestyle. His interactions with the farmers as well as his observations made him realize that fish farming is indeed a successful venture that will always benefit the farmers, with the right application of mature technologies and strong bond with appropriate counterpart such as the Kasetsart University.

Featured this week at the first International Seminar series with the theme “Continuous Knowledge Amplification Harnessing Global Expertise Through Ongoing Faculty Re-Echo and Implementation” at the NVSU RET Conference Hub spearheaded by the NVSU Research, Extension, and Training (RET) program through Extension and Training Program, in collaboration with the NVSU Office of International Affairs, Chinaman shared his experiences on farm visitations and presented his research study on the Effect of Chitosan on the Immunity and Growth of Hybrid Catfish (Clarias macrocephalus X C. gariepinus) to the faculty and students of the College of Agriculture. Moreover, as recently promoted as Assistant Professor I, Chinaman encourages his students to take their studies to the next level by performing research not just for compliance but also to aim in contributing to the advancement of fisheries and aquaculture in the Philippines. His plans also include working on research related to the enhancement of immunity of cultured fish species in the country, helping farmers in dealing with massive mortality in farms, further pursue immunological studies on fish, and to soon send-out OJT students to Kasetsart University (Bhang Khen or Kamphaengsan Campus) and the Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi (Ayuthaya Campus).

Intended to strengthen NVSU's research capacity toward developing projects that caters to food security and environmental protection, this research collaboration reveals that we can go beyond existing technologies and practices in our country, and through further studies and upgrading of the institutional capacities of our university, we can do better.