SDG 13 : Organize Climate Action
Grant Program through Joint Supervision Stage 2 Equity Scheme 2026 successfully organized a Guest Lecture entitled “Advances in Genomics and Biotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture and Life Science” on Thursday, June 4th, 2026, from 09.00–12.00 WIB at the MMA Auditorium, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). This activity was part of an effort to strengthen international academic collaboration while enhancing research capacity and higher education in the fields of plant omics, biotechnology, and sustainable life sciences. The grant program is led by Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. as the Principal Investigator (PI), with Widhi Dyah Sawitri, S.Si., M.Agr., Ph.D. as a team member.
The Guest Lecture featured three international speakers from Universiti Malaya, Malaysia, namely Dr. Tan Boon Chin, Dr. Lau Su Ee, and Dr. Chua Kah Ooi. In the first session, Dr. Tan delivered a presentation entitled “How Banana Plants Cope with Drought: Insight into Morphological and Molecular Responses,” discussing the morphological and molecular responses of banana plants to drought stress as well as the importance of genomic approaches in developing stress-tolerant crops.
Dr. Lau presented a topic entitled “Drought Responses of Pandanus and the Biostimulant Potential of Oil Palm Wood Vinegar,” which explored the drought responses of pandanus plants and the potential of oil palm wood vinegar as an environmentally friendly biostimulant to support sustainable plant growth. This presentation provided insights into the integration of biotechnology and biological resource utilization to support sustainable and climate-adaptive agriculture.
In the final session, Dr. Chua Kah Ooi presented research on bacterial community characterization and the identification of novel bacterial species in Asian weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) using microbiological and molecular approaches. In addition, Dr. Chua introduced opportunities for postgraduate study programs at Universiti Malaya as well as potential international research collaborations for students and academics. The event was attended by 105 participants consisting of students, lecturers, researchers, and academics from various fields of agriculture, biotechnology, and biology. Participants showed great enthusiasm during both the presentation sessions and interactive discussions with the international speakers.
As part of the implementation of the Academic Internationalization Reinforcement Grant Program through Joint Supervision, the activity was continued with an academic discussion session related to the development of research conducted by students of the Master’s Program in Biology, Faculty of Biology UGM. Three master’s students, namely Tiara Putria Judith, Oliv Nurul Kanaya, and Sabrina Labista Wibowo, presented and discussed their research directions focusing on major omics topics in sugarcane, including genomics research development, biotechnology, and molecular approaches to support sustainable agriculture. Discussions with the international speakers served as a platform for scientific exchange, research feedback, and the strengthening of international academic collaboration in supporting the implementation of the Joint Supervision scheme. Through this activity, students gained insights into research methodology development, opportunities for cross-institutional research collaboration, as well as the enhancement of academic capacity and international scientific publication.
In addition to supporting the advancement of science and technology, this activity also aligns with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through strengthening sustainable agricultural innovation, SDG 4 (Quality Education) through improving higher education quality and international collaboration, SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) through biotechnology research and innovation development, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) through studies on plant responses to drought stress as an impact of climate change.
Tegalrejo, 11 December 2025
This year’s conference features two distinguished keynote speakers:
- Dr. Thomas Sicheritz Ponten, Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute – Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and
- Thorunn Helgason, Chair in Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
In addition, ICBS 2025 presents invited speakers from leading institutions across the world, including:
- Prof. Dr. Bent Petersen, Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute – University of Copenhagen, Denmark;
- Dra. Tuty Arisuryanti, M.Sc., Ph.D., Department of Tropical Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada;
- Chiharu Nakashima, Ph.D., Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Japan;
- Madya Ts. Dr. Muhammad Abdul Latiff Bin Abu Bakar, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia; and
- Riza Arief Putranto, D.E.A., Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI), RPN Holding PTPN III.
Beyond its scientific objectives, ICBS 2025 also contributes to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
SDG 13: Climate Action – promoting research on adaptation and mitigation to climate change,
SDG 14: Life Below Water and SDG 15: Life on Land – supporting biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – advancing biotechnological and genomic research that benefits human and environmental health, and
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – fostering global scientific collaboration among Universitas Gadjah Mada, the Consortium of Indonesian Biologists (KOBI), and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
Yogyakarta, 30 August 2025 — The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and the School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England (UWE), held an online meeting on Friday, 29 August 2025, to strengthen research and educational collaboration between the two institutions.

The meeting was attended by key representatives from both universities. From the Faculty of Biology UGM, participants included Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs; Dr. Nur Indah Septriani, M.Sc., Head of the Office of International Affairs (OIA); and Mukhlish Jamal Musa Holle, DPhil., lecturer at the Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation. From UWE, Dr. Adrian Crew, Head of the MRes Applied Sciences Program, joined the meeting along with one of his students, Tawny Bucks.
The agenda focused on updates regarding ongoing joint research projects and discussions on future opportunities for collaboration in both research and teaching. One of the key highlights was a project conducted in Simeuleu Island, Aceh, which emphasizes regenerative agriculture practices to support ecosystem sustainability and improve community well-being. The project is a collaborative effort between UGM and UWE, with direct involvement from Tawny Bucks and Syefrina Rosyida, an alumna of UGM’s Master Program in Biology.
Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to continue the collaboration on an equal and sustainable basis. As an initial step, they agreed to develop a concept note that will serve as the foundation for further research projects in regenerative agriculture.
“This meeting marks an important momentum to strengthen research synergy between UGM and UWE, especially on global issues such as sustainable agriculture and conservation,” said Dr. Eko Agus Suyono.
The collaboration is expected not only to generate academic innovation but also to deliver real solutions to environmental and social challenges, particularly in remote areas such as Simeuleu. It also opens up wider opportunities for students and researchers from both institutions to engage in international academic activities. In line with the commitment to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative contributes to enhancing food security (SDG 2), strengthening climate action (SDG 13), and promoting the sustainable protection of terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15). Through this partnership, UGM and UWE are taking concrete steps to integrate academic research with global sustainable development objectives.



















































