The partnerships between Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Japanese universities over the years have escalated favorable opportunities for UGM’s academic community to explore advanced learning environment through student and staff mobilities.

To expand international collaboration across a range of sectors, Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, Jaka Widada, Ph.D; Deputy Dean for Academic and Student Affairs (Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie) and Faculty member (Prof. Aziz Purwantoro) along with Rector of UGM, Prof. Ova Emilia, and other  faculty management leaders (Faculty of Animal Science, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing) visited three universities in Japan, Ibaraki University, Waseda University and The University of Tokyo on 20-23 April 2024. The visitation was started by a meeting with Indonesian education and culture attaché in Tokyo, Prof. Amzul Rifin.

 

Visiting Ibaraki University

On 22 April 2024, the delegates visited Ibaraki University (IU) to continue partnerships through other programs. UGM and IU have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Academic and Student Exchange since March 2010 which automatically renewed every year.

The delegates were welcomed by President of IU, Prof. Hiroyuki Ohta; IU Vice Presidents; faculty management leaders (College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Agriculture, School of Collaborative Regional Innovation, and College of Humanities and Social Sciences) and Research and Education Center for Atomic Sciences (RECAS).

In his welcome remark, Prof. Ohta explained that IU and UGM have been working together in several programs, including student exchanges from IU to UGM, student exchange from UGM to IU in Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) programs and lecturer mobility from IU to UGM. IU sent their lecturers to UGM to teach in Faculty of Agriculture in 2021 and to Graduate School in 2022 and became a keynote speaker in ASTECNOVA in 2023. While in the research sector, collaboration has been escalated through co-authorized publication and partnership in research grant proposals.

UGM rector, Prof. Ova highlighted university’s deepening and intensify the partnerships into several options, including offering international student community services (KKN) for two weeks, reciprocal student exchanges, joint research programs, summer courses, opportunity to teach at UGM for visiting professors, and joint/double degree programs at master and doctoral levels. “Those practical activities and events highlight the role of academic institutions in driving innovation and improving our contribution to society,” said Prof. Ova.

The meeting was then continued by a networking group discussion in three different clusters, humanities, agriculture, and science to explore more potential programs between IU and UGM. The delegations were then invited to visit Hitachi Seaside Park, a public park to see the flower fields in Ibaraki Prefecture.

 

Visiting Waseda University

On 24 April 2024, the dean and delegates visited Waseda University (Waseda). The topic of the meeting includes Universitas 21 (U21) partnership, as both UGM and Waseda are the members of the U21, a global network consisting of 29 world-leading universities which share a common understanding of collaboration and internationalization beliefs. The delegates were welcomed by Dean of International Affair Division, Waseda. The MoU between UGM and Waseda has been signed since 2017 and will be valid until 2026. To intensify the collaboration, UGM offers an International Student Community Service (KKN) for Waseda’s students to take part in an integrated activity between education and community services for two weeks.

“As initial collaboration between Faculty of Agriculture UGM and Waseda University, it can be started by student exchange programs” said Jaka.

 

Visiting The University of Tokyo

The delegation then moved to the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo. Both universities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Academic Exchange which will be valid until 2026. The discussions prioritize student experience, researcher engagement, and educational innovation through student and staff exchanges, joint/double degree programs, and international student community services (KKN). The collaboration will be expanded to include other neighboring universities, such as Tohoku University, Shizuoka University, Miyazaki University, and Tsukuba University.

“Faculty of Agriculture UGM has been in collaboration with those universities, however reviving the collaboration to refresh what have been done is another importance of partnership, especially after covid pandemic”, said Jaka.

Meeting between Ibaraki University and Universitas Gadjah Mada

Dean of Faculty of Agriculture UGM along with Rector of UGM, President of Ibaraki University and other delegates

Faculty of Agriculture UGM delegates with President of Ibaraki University

Dean of Faculty of Agriculture UGM with Prof. Tatsuo Sato Director, Center for International Field Agriculture Research and Education, College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University

UGM delegates were welcomed in Waseda University

Dean of Faculty of Agriculture UGM give a souvenir to Dean of International Affair Division, Waseda.Universit

UGM delegates in front of Waseda University

 

 

Faculty of Agriculture UGM in collaboration with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) held a training of trainers workshop on Wednesday-Thursday, February 21-22, 2024 at the Center for Agrotechnology Innovation (PIAT) UGM. The event was attended by citrus farmers, extension workers, and plant pest observers (POPT) from eight regencies, namely Bangli Regency, Sambas Regency, Rejang Lebong Regency, Malang Regency, Jember Regency, Banyuwangi Regency, Garut Regency, and Purworejo Regency.

Muh Amat Nasir, S.P., M.Sc., as the chairman of the committee, said that the ToT workshop aimed to improve the ability and skills of citrus agribusiness players in managing Huanglongbing disease (HLB) effectively.

“The workshop, which is packaged in the form of training of trainers or ToT, is expected to be able to prepare participants as agribusiness actors, namely farmers, PPLs, POPTs, and the relevant agencies, to channel their understanding and practice the skills they have acquired to their colleagues in their respective regions,” Nasir explained.

In the workshop, the participants received various materials on HLB disease management in citrus plants from resource persons with several backgrounds, including academics, researchers, and policy makers, such as the Director of the Directorate of Horticultural Protection of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Drs. Jekvy Hendra, M.Si., and the Central Extension Officer of the Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development Agency (BPPSMP), Dr. Ir. Mohammad Takdir Mulyadi, MM. Not only in the form of theory, the participants also received material in the form of practice in the PIAT garden.

The cooperation between Faculty of Agriculture UGM, ACIAR, and NSW DPI in the project code HORT/2019/164 has been going on for two years and will continue until 2025 with Prof. Dr. Ir. Siti Subandiyah, M.Agr.Sc., Professor of Plant Disease UGM, as the activity coordinator. This collaboration raises the issue of HLB disease in citrus plants that requires sustainable management practices. According to the Vice Dean for Assets, Finance, and Human Resources of Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Dr. R.A. Siti Ari Budhiyanti, S.T.P., M.P., this cooperation should be appreciated for its efforts to overcome the HLB outbreak, as well as a form of service and research that will be seen by the university.

“The faculty thank and appreciate the cooperation that becomes a forum for discussion of innovation and information exchange from the Faculty of Agriculture UGM and Australia to jointly overcome the HLB outbreak,” said the vice dean who is often called Sita.

Through this collaboration, the Faculty of Agriculture UGM shows its commitment in achieving SDGs, especially goals number 15 “Life on Land” and 17 “Partnerships for the Goals”.

Author: Hanita Athasari Zain