Food security remains a critical issue in Indonesia, heavily reliant on a deep understanding of plant pathology—a field focused on diagnosing and managing plant diseases, especially in essential crops. The Haryono Semangun Award (HSA) 2024, themed “Plant Pathology as the Foundation for Food Security in the Era 5.0”, aims to introduce plant pathology to a broader audience. The event honors the late Prof. Dr. Ir. Haryono Semangun, an esteemed Professor of Plant Pathology at UGM, whose contributions to the field remain an enduring inspiration.
SDG 1: No Poverty
During the Faculty Work Meeting (Rapat Kerja Fakultas – RKF) held on Friday, 9 August 2024, Leaders of the Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM) highlighted the importance of involving junior faculty members in various forms of research. Prof. Subejo, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Collaboration, emphasized that young faculty are encouraged to engage in research through research grants.
“The junior faculty research grant program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at ensuring young lecturers can carry out research, even if they have limited access to funding from the university or from the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education,” explained Prof. Subejo.
The development of agricultural technology that meets local needs is a crucial step in boosting productivity and improving the welfare of farmers across Indonesia. This is the focus of a community service program (KKN) held in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) by the UGM KKN team “Sinergi Kolbano” in the second semester of 2024. The program aims to introduce practical agricultural solutions tailored to local conditions. One such initiative was the installation of a sprinkler irrigation system for crop watering in the village of Ofu, Kolbano District, South Central Timor Regency, NTT, led by Hanan Ammar Raihan, an Agronomy student from the 2021 class.