Yogyakarta, July 29, 2024 – The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held a courtesy meeting with renowned universities from ASEAN and Europe as part of the 7th International Summer Course (ISC) on Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development: Sustainable Bioprospecting of Tropical Biodiversity 2024.
The meeting invited delegates from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Ts. Dr. Siti Fatimah Binti Sabran; Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, Dr. Nor Ismaliza Binti Mohd Ismail; University of the Philippines Los Baños, the Philippines, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alona Cuevas Linatoc; Leipzig University, Germany, Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed and Prof. Dr. Uwe Truyen; Kasetsart University, Thailand, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kornsorn Srikulnath and Dr. Thitipong Panthum; and Cairo University, Egypt, Prof. Said Ali Eid Elsalamouny. The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Faculty of Biology, including the Dean, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc., Chairman of ISC 2024, Mukhlis Jamal Musa Holle, D.Phil., Dr. Sukirno, Dr.rer.nat. Abdul Rahman Siregar, S.Si., M.Biotech., and Dr. Tri Rini Nuringtyas, S.Si., M.Sc.
The courtesy meeting was held to welcome the guests who will participate as speakers at the ISC and to discuss opportunities for inter-university collaboration. The Dean of the Faculty of Biology, as the host, expressed his appreciation for the delegates’ participation and hoped that this meeting would pave the way for more inclusive educational and research collaborations in the future (SDG 4 and 17).
This year, the ISC is conducted in a hybrid format, with online sessions held on July 15, 17, 19, 22, and 24, and offline sessions taking place from July 29 to August 2. This year’s summer course is attended by participants from 14 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, India, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Algeria, and Yemen. There are a total of 57 hybrid participants, consisting of 9 local and 48 international participants, with 33 attending the offline sessions.
This event is part of the Faculty of Biology UGM’s ongoing efforts to enhance its international network and contribute to the global advancement of biological sciences. The ISC features international panellists who present various topics related to biodiversity, resource conservation, land and water ecosystem preservation, contributions to climate change urgency, and resource utilization through sustainable bioprospecting topics (SDG 13, 14, 15).