On Friday (5/7), the Health Promoting University (HPU) team and Faculty Counselors Faculty of Biology UGM Counselors organized a training session for Buddy Counselors to prepare their skills for assisting new students in 2024. This year’s Buddy Counselor team is the second cohort following the establishment of the peer counselor team, called Buddy Counselors, by the HPU team and Faculty of Biology Counselors last year.
The Buddy Counselor 2024 team consists of 28 active students who received training and inaugurated on May 20, 2024. The training session was guided by Yudhistira Adi Perdana, M.Psi., a psychologist from the Faculty of Biology UGM . This activity is part of the HPU Faculty of Biology’s work program, chaired by Titin Fauziah, SE., MBA. The Buddy Counselors supported by the Faculty Psychologist and assisted by Faculty Counselors, including Dwi Umi Siswanti, S.Si., M.Sc., Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Rachman Siregar, M.Biotech., and Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono, S.Si., M.Si.
The Buddy Counselors received training in active listening skills, life goal mapping, and practical sessions in active listening. This team will work alongside the PPSMB Faculty of Biology guides in assisting the 2024 new student cohort. The Buddy Counselor program is the first of its kind in the Faculty of Biology, aimed at helping new students adapt to their new environment, academic life, and all its intricacies. The team provides academic orientation and tracking the mental health of new students to minimize risks throughout their studies at the Faculty of Biology UGM.
“Active listening begins with our willingness to listen to the counselee’s story, paraphrasing, summarizing, clarifying, and providing support. We should focus on the counsellee,” explained Yudhis. “We hope that this new student assistance program becomes a tradition in our faculty, helping new students smoothly transition from high school to university life,” expressed Titin in her remarks. This assistance also facilitates the Faculty Counselors’ efforts in identifying mental health issues early and preparing measures to prevent self-harm and suicide.
The discussions held during the FGD and field visits covered various topics, including the use of technology in agriculture, organic farming practices, natural resource management, and marketing strategies for agricultural products. The results of these discussions will form the basis for developing more relevant and responsive educational, research, and community service programs tailored to the needs of millennial farmers.
and millennial farmers, bringing tangible positive impacts to the advancement of the agricultural sector in Indonesia. This activity is closely related to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. The dialogue and collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and millennial farmers can increase farmers’ productivity and income (SDG 1: No Poverty) and support sustainable agriculture that enhances food security and nutrition (SDG 2: Zero Hunger). This initiative also develops more relevant educational programs for millennial farmers (SDG 4: Quality Education), supports economic growth and job creation in the agricultural sector (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth), and encourages innovation and modernization of agricultural practices (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The focus on organic farming practices and natural resource management supports sustainable production and consumption (SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production), and the sustainable agriculture discussed in the FGD contributes to climate change mitigation (SDG 13: Climate Action). Furthermore, the collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and millennial farmers is a concrete example of partnerships that support the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals).
In the Histology & Embryology Section, students were introduced to microscopes and how to use them. They also observed the diffusion process and colorful microscopic preparations. Meanwhile, in the Animal Anatomy Section, students observed skeletal preparations, internal organs, and several anatomical specimens. The children showed remarkable enthusiasm and deep curiosity while learning in the laboratory. The visit also included a question-and-answer session, where the children were given the opportunity to ask questions about interesting science topics to the Master’s and Bachelor’s students conducting research in the laboratory. Intelligent and creative questions flowed, reflecting the growing interest in science among the young generation.
