Thursday (29 September 2022), the Faculty of Biology UGM again received a visit from the Australian National University (ANU) in order to hold a Double Degree presentation. The event, which was held online the previous year, was finally able to be held in a hybrid manner, both via zoom and offline at the Auditorium of Tropical Biology, Faculty of Biology, UGM. This presentation was attended by Caretaker Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si. Ph.D., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono. S.Si., M.App.Sc. and Manager of the Office of International Affairs Faculty of Biology, Nur Indah Septriani, S.Si. M.Sc. Ph.D. Present online the Manager of the International Undergraduate Program of the Faculty of Biology, Zuliyati Rohmah, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., Eng. and Head of the Undergraduate Study Program, Faculty of Biology, Sukirno, S.Si. M.Sc. Ph.D. Meanwhile, from ANU, it was attended by Jay Poria, Head of Relations and Partnerships, ANU College of Science, ANU College of Health and Medicine. The presentation was also attended by students from the S1-Regular, S1-IUP, and S2 programs both via zoom and offline.
The event began with an opening by Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, S.Si. M.App.Sc. which describes the five-year collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and ANU, College of Science. He also emphasized that the collaboration with ANU is something to be grateful for because ANU is the best campus in Australia. The commitment of both parties is manifested in the form of Double Degree cooperation which can be followed by UGM students who have studied for two years at UGM for undergraduate students and one year at UGM for master students.
In the next presentation, Jay Poria explained that ANU is the first ranked university in Australia and ranked 30th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2023). ANU has won six Nobel Prizes and has a strong focus on research. The facilities offered by ANU are also very varied, including an ideal campus environment, high standard laboratories, and very adequate facilities for students. Jay further explained about the Double Degree program offered by ANU with a 2+2 scheme. This means that undergraduate students can join the program if they have completed two years of study at UGM and the next two years at ANU. Students are also required to have taken the Evolution course and have an IELTS score of 6.5 at the time of registration.
The next program that Jay Poria offers is Future Research Talent (FRT) for Masters students. This program aims in general to develop research cooperation between the two countries. Program participants will receive research facilities that are very supportive and guided by the best ANU experts. The selection process for this program is carried out in two stages, namely the first stage by UGM. Participants who pass the UGM selection will then be re-selected by ANU. Only the shorlisted participants are accepted for this program.
Jay also added that there are scholarships from ANU for Ph.D candidate students. The key criteria for qualifying for this scholarship are already doing a good level of thesis research and obtaining good grades in master’s studies. This presentation was closed by Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, S.Si. M.App.Sc, with the hope that the cooperation between the Faculty of Biology UGM and ANU, the College of Science will be better and stronger.[aulia]