Yogyakarta, March 8, 2023 – The Faculty of Biology received a visit from three MBKM (Independent Learning – Independent Campus) partners. The event took place in the KPTU Meeting Room of the Faculty of Biology, UGM, welcomed by Prof.Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., the Dean of the Faculty of Biology. Also in attendance were representatives from LAZNAS Yatim Mandiri, the Jaringan Satwa Indonesia Foundation, and Bumi Sembada Waste Bank, as well as biology faculty members involved in the collaboration, including Wahyu Aristyaning Putri, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., from the Biotechnology Laboratory; Novita Yustinadiar, S.Si., M.Si., from the Plant Development Structure Laboratory; and Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Si., M.Si., from the Animal Systematics Laboratory.
Yatim Mandiri is a National Zakat Amil Institution owned by the Indonesian community, dedicated to uplifting the social dignity of orphans through ZISWAF funds (Zakat, Infaq, Shadaqah, Wakaf), as well as another lawful and legitimate fund, from individuals, groups, companies/institutions. Yatim Mandiri has established 46 service offices in 14 provinces in Indonesia. With its various self-reliance programs, Yatim Mandiri hopes to improve and spread its benefits widely. The Jaringan Satwa Indonesia Foundation is the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, known as JAAN, founded in February 2008 by Femke den Haas, Karin Franken, and Natalie Stewart as a platform for the community to report cases of animal abuse or to obtain information about animal welfare in Indonesia. Meanwhile, Bumi Sembada Waste Bank was founded in 2023 in Sukoharjo Padukuhan Besi Village, Sleman. There are 75 types of waste that the community can sell to the waste bank, with the expectation that the community will be more enthusiastic about sorting waste to improve the economy and help address the waste issues.
The purpose of the visit was to establish cooperation with the Faculty of Biology through the MBKM scheme, with three agreements for each partner. Professor Budi welcomed the initiation and expected that this cooperation would benefit all parties involved.
With the establishment of cooperation with these three partners, UGM’s Faculty of Biology hopes that the knowledge of biology can be beneficial to the wider community and also contribute to sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly in the development of inclusive education (SDG 4) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), through continuous collaboration and partnership building to achieve the goals (SDG 17).