Yogyakarta, 25 October 2025 – Faculty of Biology UGM held a guest lecture featuring a wildlife conservation expert from the Australian National University (ANU), Australia, Dr. George Olah. The lecture took place in the Tropical Biology Auditorium, Faculty of Biology, UGM and was attended by students and lecturers from the Faculty of Biology, UGM.
“This is a good opportunity for ongoing collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and the Australian National University, Australia” Dr. Bambang Retnoaji as Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in his speech Friday (25/10). Dr. Bambang also did not forget to tell students to actively seek knowledge during the lecture.
Dr. George is a wildlife conservation expert from ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society. His research focuses on tropical ecology, genetic conservation, and conservation management, especially bird conservation. Dr. George is also involved in various conservation projects in Indonesia, one of which is the Indonesian Parrot Foundation.
Dr. George explained his lecture presentation with the title “The role of conservation genetics in the study of parrot conservation”. Ecologists and conservation experts convey the phylogeny of the parrot tree, to the status that some species are on the verge of extinction. The threat of extinction is caused by agricultural activities, hunting, deforestation, climate change, the presence of invasive species, and human activities that affect the existence of parrot. Another big threat is the rampant illegal trade in exotic birds. ASEAN and Indonesia itself are one of the locations where this illegal trade is rampant. Dr. George invited students to be aware and participate in efforts to overcome the illegal trade in wild animals through various conservation efforts and increasing public awareness.
The participants were enthusiastic about attending the lecture and were critical in the subsequent question and answer session. Through this public lecture, it is hoped that it can encourage innovation, especially for the academic community, in contributing to research on sustainable ecosystem preservation (SDG 4 and 15) through collaboration between the UGM Faculty of Biology and the Australian National University (SDG 17).