Yogyakarta, January 9, 2026 — The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), held an international guest lecture on Friday, January 9, 2026. The event was conducted in a hybrid format, taking place at the Tropical Biology Auditorium, Faculty of Biology UGM, and streamed online via Zoom Meeting. The lecture was attended by more than 200 participants, comprising lecturers and students from the Faculty of Biology UGM as well as participants from various universities across Indonesia.
The guest lecture featured two speakers from the Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taiwan, namely Dr. Li-Wei Wu and Dr. Bo-Cheng Wang, both of whom are active researchers in the fields of biodiversity and conservation genetics. The event commenced with an opening remark by Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs of the Faculty of Biology UGM. In his speech, he expressed his appreciation for the successful organization of the event and warmly welcomed the speakers and participants. He also highlighted that the Faculty of Biology UGM is home to many experts in entomology and genetics, and expressed hope that this guest lecture would serve as a starting point for future research and academic collaborations.
The session was moderated by Sukirno, Ph.D., Chair of the Undergraduate Study Program at the Faculty of Biology UGM, who is also a lecturer and researcher at the Entomology Laboratory. The first presentation was delivered by Dr. Li-Wei Wu, entitled “Applying DNA Sequence and Data Analysis of Butterflies to Biodiversity and Evolutionary Researches.” His presentation focused on the phylogeography of Taiwanese butterflies and their relatives, molecular systematics, and conservation genetics, providing a comprehensive overview of the use of molecular data in evolutionary and biodiversity studies.
The second presentation was delivered by Dr. Bo-Cheng Wang, entitled “Is an Endangered Species Truly at Risk?” In his talk, Dr. Wang discussed the results of whole-genome resequencing research on the broad-tailed swallowtail butterfly (Papilio maraho), aimed at assessing the species’ extinction risk more accurately using genomic-based data.
Throughout the lecture and discussion sessions, participants demonstrated strong enthusiasm, as reflected in the lively questions and interactive discussions. Through this activity, the Faculty of Biology UGM hopes to strengthen international networks, open opportunities for research collaboration, academic exchange, and capacity building in the fields of biodiversity and conservation genetics. This initiative also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through the enhancement of quality education based on global collaboration, SDG 15 (Life on Land) through biodiversity conservation efforts, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening international partnerships in education and research.
