The Faculty of Biology UGM plays an active role in realizing sustainable development goals (SDG’s). To support and realize SDG’s 7 concerning about quality education, and SDG’s 17 to strengthen global cooperation, the Faculty of Biology UGM delegations consisting of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. (Dean), Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. (Vice Dean for Research, Service, Collaboration and Alumni), and Sukirno, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Chair of the Undergraduate Study Program) made a collaborative visit to Ankara University Türkiye in order to develop cooperation and collaboration in the fields of academics and research, training, publications, student mobility and community service. This activity is the initiation of the first formal collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and university in Türkiye.
This visit was held on 11 – 12 December 2023 at Ankara University. Ankara University was founded on 13 June 1946 and consists of 19 Faculties and 1 College. On December 12th, 2023, the delegation was received by The Head of Department of Field Crops Prof. Dr. Hayrettin Kendir and Biotechnology Section Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood Khawar. This visiting session began with an introduction to the profile and facilities at the UGM Faculty of Biology and two public lectures entitled The Dynamics and Evolution of Melon-Infecting Virus in Indonesia Influenced by Climate Change, and Integration of Biorefinery Concept in Biofuel Production from Microalgae, each delivered individually. -each by Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. and Dr. Eko Agus Suyono. This lecture was attended by lecturers, researchers and postgraduate students at the Faculty of Agriculture Ankara University.
After the lecture, the next visitation agenda was an orientation to research facilities and laboratories within the Field Crops Departments and the initiation of collaboration with the Biotechnology Institute of Ankara University. In this meeting, the delegation was received by Chief Technology Officer Dr. Esra Mine Unal and team. In this meeting, discussions were discussed about exploring research collaboration and student mobility/double degree programs, especially for postgraduate programs. The laboratories in this institute are ISO certified and are a national reference centre in Türkiye.
The visit then closed with a discussion of cooperation in the field of exchange for students, professors and researchers; research collaboration, joint lectures, collaborative conferences, seminars, symposia and joint degree programs between the Faculty of Biology UGM and the Faculty of Agriculture Ankara University. In this collaboration meeting, the MoU was signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology UGM and the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Hasan Huseyin Atar. In the discussion on this collaboration, it was also stated that this MoU is as a starting point for collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and Ankara University and will subsequently be expanded with collaboration with the Faculty of Science and Biotechnology of the Institute of Ankara University. The implementation of this collaboration is expected to begin in 2024.
