The Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and the Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Jember (UNEJ) officially established a collaboration on Thursday, 3 October 2024. This agreement coincided with UNEJ’s visit to UGM for a comparative study and focus group discussion (FGD). The collaboration is expected to provide new insights and pave the way for strategic partnerships in human resource development, academic quality, and scientific publications at both institutions. This initiative also supports the “Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka” (MBKM) program promoted by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

“Today, we are here to discuss and learn together about human resource development, cooperation, and education. We hope to gain a lot of insights from UGM’s Faculty of Agriculture, and hopefully, this knowledge and experience can benefit others as well, said Prof. Dr. Ir. Soetriono, M.P., Dean of the UNEJ Faculty of Agriculture.

The scope of the collaboration includes the exchange of scientific works, such as articles, journals, and books, as well as the organization of academic forums at both national and international levels. Additionally, both faculties agreed to conduct student exchanges, including field visits, internships, research, and other activities that support practical learning in the field of agriculture.

The signing ceremony for the cooperation agreement was carried out by Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D., Dean of the UGM Faculty of Agriculture, and Prof. Dr. Ir. Soetriono, M.P., Dean of the UNEJ Faculty of Agriculture. On this occasion, Ir. Jaka Widada also expressed his hopes for an established collaboration.

Through this partnership, both faculties aim to strengthen collaboration in various strategic fields. This cooperation also supports the Faculty of Agriculture in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Author: Agrit Kirana Bunda
Editor: Desi Utami
Documentation: Media Faperta

On Friday, 13 September 2024, the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM) held a guest lecture with the topic “Microbial and Protein Engineering in Various Industrial Applications”. This event was held online via the Zoom platform by presenting Dr. Yosephine Gumulya from the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Australia, as a speaker.

The event opened with remarks from Prof. Ir. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, M.Eng., Ph.D, who highlighted the importance of this topic in the industrial world.
“The topic of Microbial and Protein Engineering has many applications, especially in various industrial activities. I hope this lecture will provide new insights for students regarding activities related to microbes and protein engineering in industry. “I also hope this is useful for students,” said Prof. Irfan.
In her presentation, Dr. Yosephine Gumulya explained that enzyme and microbial engineering is a powerful approach for changing proteins and microbes to meet specific needs in various industrial applications. According to her, this technology can be used in various sectors, such as a white biotechnology for producing chemicals, red for producing medicines, and green for environmental restoration and bioremediation.
Dr. Yosephine also discusses protein engineering for pharmaceutical applications, particularly in developing the innovative Cytochrome P450 enzyme for the synthesis of drug metabolites. In addition, she also described the CLADE (Combinatorial Libraries of Ancestors for Directed Evolution) method and the development of the new ketol acid reductoisomerase enzyme.
Apart from that, Dr. Yosephine explained the potential of microbial engineering in resource recovery, such as biomining for low-grade ore, increasing microbial resistance to environmental stress, and cutting-edge applications in outer space. Microbes are also being engineered for food applications, such as plant-based milk alternatives, plant-based yoghurts, and plant-based fermentations.
The atmosphere of the guest lecture was interactive and exciting, as seen by the large number of students and lecturers who actively discussed during the question-and-answer session. Dr. Yosephine also gave a message to the guest lecture participants, as well as closing her presentation.
“Enzyme and microbial engineering are a powerful approach to utilize proteins and microbes to meet specific needs in various industrial applications,” said Dr. Josephine
This guest lecture provides new and in-depth insights for students about the applications of microbial and protein engineering in various industrial sectors, from pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, to food processing. This activity also supports the achievement of SDGs, namely SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 15: Life on Land, SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals.

Author: Agrit Kirana Bunda
Editor: Desi Utami
Documentation: Department of Agricultural Microbiology

Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM) has undergone an Internal Quality Audit (AMI) for the Study Program Management Unit (UPPS) on 2-3 October 2024. This AMI visitation aims to assess and improve the quality of education, as well as the services provided by each study program within the Faculty of Agriculture UGM.

In the series of AMI visitations, a team of assessors consisting of experts in the field of higher education evaluated several aspects of study program management, such as curriculum, research, community service, and management. The study programs conducted by AMI include nine undergraduate study programs, eight master’s study programs, and one doctoral study program managed by the Faculty of Agriculture UGM.

Vice Dean for Academic of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie, S.P., M.Si., said that the AMI visitation is important to involve all elements of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM with the hope of maintaining the quality of education provided.

“We hope that this AMI visitation can be an effort and evaluation for all of us to maintain the quality of the education we run and also make a positive contribution to the community,” said Weny.

This AMI visitation involved lecturers, staff, and students in separate discussion sessions. There are five departments or as UPPS in the Faculty of Agriculture that have undergone AMI visitation, including the Department of Agronomy, the Department of Agricultural Socio-Economics, the Department of Plant Protection, the Department of Fisheries, and the Department of Agricultural Microbiology consisting of 16 study programs. Each study program was audited by two assessors from Universitas Gadjah Mada. After that, the assessor team also explained the results of the AMI audit to the management of departments and study programs so that improvement steps could be taken in the future. Furthermore, the Department of Soil will accept an AMI visitation on 22 October 2024.

The implementation of the AMI audit is a strong commitment of the Faculty of Agriculture which is supported by all elements of the academic community to achieve the goals in the SDGs, especially SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals.

Author: Hanita Athasari Zain
Editor: Desi Utami
Photo: Media Faperta UGM