Graduate students from the 2023 Master of Agricultural Economics program conducted a field study (Widyakarya) in Malaysia from 11-15 August 2024. The activity, which involved 19 students, aimed to fulfill a core course requirement and study various agricultural institutions in Malaysia. The field study was supervised by Prof. Dr. Ir. Irham, M.Sc., and Dr. Hani Perwitasari, S.P., M.Sc., as academic mentors

Key destinations of the Widyakarya included the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Beryl’s Chocolate Industry, and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). Malaysia was chosen as the destination because it is considered Indonesia’s main competitor in the palm oil sector and is renowned for its chocolate industry. The study aimed to enhance students’ international insights and explore Malaysia’s agricultural landscape, particularly regarding palm oil and chocolate.
Dr. Hani Perwitasari shared her aspirations for the program. “I hope they gain new insights, particularly on the development mechanisms for palm oil, the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the downstreaming of agricultural products. These aspects can extend the economic lifecycle of agricultural products,” Hani explained.
The Widyakarya program by the Department of Agricultural Socioeconomics at UGM’s Faculty of Agriculture underscores the institution’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. read more

The vision of the Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), Smart Eco-bioproduction, is not only a guiding principle for its academic community but also shared with visitors to the Faculty’s booth during AgriFest 2024, held from 5-7 September 2024, at the Center for Agro-Technology Innovation (PIAT) UGM. Through the distribution of souvenirs, including reusable tumblers and coconut seedlings, the Faculty aims to raise public awareness about the importance of healthy living and food self-sufficiency. read more

The Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), held an Innovation Entrepreneurship Bootcamp from 23-27 August 2024. This program was part of the Microbiology Entrepreneurship Course, coordinated by Ir. Donny Widianto, Ph.D., alongside lecturers Toronata Tambun and Nur Akbar Arofatullah, S.P., M.Biotech., Ph.D. Designed as a project-based course, the bootcamp provided students with insights into innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

The bootcamp aimed to immerse students in a fire-hose journey using the 24 Disciplined Entrepreneurship Framework. The five-day event kicked off with the concept of paying customer or “who will pay.” Unlike typical startup trends, this framework emphasizes five foundational doctrines, include: 1) Avoid product obsession, 2) Focus on paying customers (not just markets or segments), 3) Emphasize iteration, 4) Strategy revolves around being unique (uniqueness not limited to the product), and 5) View the customer’s perspective holistically. read more