Sunday, 4 June 2023 Oceans Day 2023 was held by the Marine Studies Group of the Faculty of Biology UGM as part of their participation in World Ocean Day on June 8 and was attended by 56 members of Marine Study Group and 18 volunteers from Faculty of Biology UGM. Ocean Day 2023 has the theme “Stop Plastic Waste Polluting the Sea”  and comprised two main activities: a seminar and beach cleanup.

The Seminar began at 08.30 to 11.00 at the auditorium of Biology Tropika and was guided by Renisha Windy Puspita Sari (DXXII) and Ahmad Aris B. R. (DXXIII). The seminar began with a welcoming speech from Filda Mega AYU as chairperson of the committee and A. Najib Dhiaurahman , the chairperson of Marine Study Group. Then the seminar continued with a presentation on plastic waste management to reduce water pollution and its solution through marine biology by Tyas Ikhsan Hikmawan, M.Sc., Ph.D. followed by discussion.

The next series of activities was beach clean-up at Baros Beach which took place 13.00 WIB to 16.00 WIB. This beach cleaning activity is a volunteer activity carried out directly on the shores of Baros Beach, collecting scattered waste in the area and educating about marine waste management.

May the knowledge and experience that has been given at Oceans Day 2023 not stop at this event alone, but be accepted and implemented continuously by all participants , and shared with anyone. Eternal and unlimited, invincible and powerful, such is the ocean. Together, let’s save the seas from all damage and pollution because this can be a real action to protect future generations. Happy World Sea Day! Cheers to Jay KSK!

Friday, July 21^st 2023, Universitas Gadjah Mada held a Workshop on SDGs for Internal Capacity Development: UGM Towards a Sustainable Campus at the Lotus Ballroom, Artotel Suites Bianti, Yogyakarta. The event was attended by representatives from various UGM working units including from Faculty of Biology represented by Mukhlis Jamal Musa Holle, S.Sc., M.Env.Sc., D.Phil. The event began with remarks by the Vice Chancellor for Education and Teaching Universitas Gadjah Mada, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, S.S., M. Hum., DEA. Prof. Wening explained the importance of the contribution of universities and their academic community in realizing the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which have been promoted by the United Nations since 2015. Anticipation needs to be done to ensure that life in the future will avoid crises including the food crisis, extreme climate change and so on. UGM in the management of the SDGs is also got 2^nd ranked in Indonesia and will continue to be developed. Prof. Wening also explained the importance of active data collection and publication to media so that activities carried out at UGM can be exposed to the wider community.

Further remarks were given by the Head of Quality and Reputation Assurance of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Dr. L. Hartanto Nugroho. He explained that contributions for SDGs can be made in small ways and small changes can have a big impact. A simple example in terms of segregating waste in a university environment, it must be carried out systematically and massively and involve all components and the academic community at the university.

The workshop continued with a general presentation by Prof. Dr. Puji Astuti, S.Si., M.Sc., Apt. and Ir. Sentagi Sesotya Utami, St., M.Sc., Ph.D. They explained that the most important aspects of the 17 SDGs are the environment and human sustainability. University ranking in terms of SDGs is not the main thing to achieve, but the ranking is a form of measurement for achievements or activities that have been carried out. UGM also supports sustainability in university governance from the aspects of ecosystems and the environment as well as human sustainability. This can be seen in the policies and regulations issued by UGM. The principles of sustainability or campus sustainability applied at UGM include energy conservation, waste management, water conservation, and eco-friendly transportation. In addition, the achievements of the activities carried out need to be balanced with massive publications so that they can be heard outside the university.

The workshop continued with Forum Group Discussions (FGDs) where participants were divided into 4 categories: Medicines, Agro and Life Science, Social Science, and Art and Humanities. Discussions focused on implementing the SDGs in their respective work units, SWOT analysis, plans for follow-up activities and plans for publication of SDGs achievements. In the discussion, representatives of the Faculty of Biology who included in Agro and Life Science category explained what activities had taken place at the Faculty of Biology and presentation ideas regarding the implementation of SDG No. 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG No. 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Some of the components of the discussion include how programs play a role in overcoming food insecurity for the academic community and the general public, interventions for dealing with food insecurity, publication of sustainability reports, waste management, to how each work unit can represent research or activities carried out at the work unit level as part of the SDGs.

The workshop ended with closing and a reminder of how important everyone’s role is in realizing the SDGs, especially at the university level. It is hoped that this activity can be a trigger for the implementation of the SDGs and better publications at Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Biology undergraduate students at Gadjah Mada University made another achievement at the national level by winning 3rd place in the National Scientific Writing Competition. This achievement was achieved by students Susy Wijayanti and Umi Salamah from Biology Class of 2018 under the guidance of Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S. Si., M. Kes. This competition is a competition held by the University of North Sumatra with the theme “Gen Z Innovation and Strategy in the Environmentally Friendly Living Movement”. This activity aims to be a forum for channeling student creations & innovations for a healthy generation.

This final activity took place on November 25 2022 online at the University of North Sumatra which was attended by students from universities throughout Indonesia. This competition was carried out in four stages, which were abstract submission, assessment of scientific papers, announcement of the top 10, and the culmination of which was the presentation of the paper in front of the judges.

In this competition the team raised the title “Phytoremediation of Domestic, Industrial and Agricultural Liquid Waste by Photobioreactor-Based Microalgae”. According to the team, the idea was motivated by the high increase in global population, industrialization, and economic progress which had an impact on increasing waste and decreasing water quality. This prompted the team to conduct research to find an efficient method of managing this waste. One of the biological agents that can act as a natural bioremediator for managing waste is microalgae. Hence, the waste becomes safer for the environment.

Team preparation was carried out a week before the online presentation activities by preparing presentation materials and materials. The team regularly practices so that they are able to provide clear and firm explanations of the papers being presented. The team was able to convey ideas and answer all the jury’s questions straightforwardly. They said that this was none other than the result of the team’s hard work and the support of all parties.

With this competition, they really hope to be able to provide encouragement and support for students who are interested in the field of scientific work to convey their best ideas through their intelligence in thinking. In addition, the team also hopes that through this competition it can bring and make the Faculty of Biology and Gadjah Mada University proud in the future.