Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering faculty sweeps top awards at Kobe University Int’l Research Course

Engr. Eldon De Padua (right) poses for a photo after receiving the Best Presentation Award at the 2025 Kobe GSAS-Double Degree Symposium in Japan.

Engr. Eldon De Padua, a faculty member of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Visayas State University (VSU), brought pride to the university after sweeping major awards in the 2025 Kobe University Comprehensive Course on Research Proposal Writing and Oral Presentation.

Engr. De Padua was named Class Valedictorian, 1st Best Paper, and 1st Best Oral Presenter in the non-Japanese student category and beat fellow graduate students and researchers from eight countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

This summer course, hosted by the Graduate School of Agricultural Science (GSAS) of Kobe University in Japan, is known for its rigorous and outcomes-based approach to developing academic writing and communication skills.

Participants undergo a three-month hybrid program with a combination of online sessions and in-person presentations, culminating in a competitive final round where the best researchers are recognized.

Engr. De Padua, currently a MEXT scholar taking his Master-to-PhD program in Mechanical Engineering for Bioproduction, is conducting research on high-resolution sensor fusion systems for field applications, an area with promising potential to transform how farmers monitor and manage agricultural productivity.

He is currently working under the supervision of his sensei, Dr. Eiji Morimoto, a renowned expert in Community-based Precision Agriculture in Japan.

In a Facebook post, Engr. De Padua described the journey as “unforgettable and inspiring” and shared how the course brought together minds from across the world to learn from mentors and from each other.

The program was initially launched under the leadership of Dr. Yukio Tosa, former Dean of the Graduate School of Agricultural Science (GSAS) and now Professor Emeritus at Kobe University. It is currently directed by Dr. Yasuhito Shirai, the present GSAS Dean, with Dr. Soichiro Asuke of Kobe University and Dr. Mabini Dizon of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) serving as course coordinators.

The award brings renewed attention to VSU’s role in preparing researchers in high-impact fields like precision agriculture.

Engr. De Padua is working on a project that uses smart sensors to help farmers better understand their crops. These sensors can track plant movement, shape, and inner condition, all in real-time.

Even though he is using high-tech tools, his goal is to make this kind of farming technology easy to use and available for regular farmers, so they can grow healthier crops and avoid wasting water, fertilizer, and other resources.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and; SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. 

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