Yogyakarta, November 2025 —
Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., lecturer at the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has once again received international recognition by being awarded the RCE Awards 2025 from the United Nations University – Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), Tokyo, Japan.

The award was presented to RCE Yogyakarta for the project entitled “Integrated Holistic Education System as a Strategy to Improve Educational Quality in Marginalized Villages through Transpolitan Community Services”, led by Ganies Riza Aristya. The project builds upon the Transpolitan Community Services model, which integrates universities, local communities, and regional governments to develop inclusive and contextual education systems. This model strengthens the synergy between formal, non-formal, and community-based education to empower rural communities. The project was recognized as an Acknowledged Flagship Project at the Global RCE Awards 2025.

The RCE (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development) initiative, under the coordination of UNU-IAS, promotes education for sustainable development worldwide. This award acknowledges outstanding contributions to advancing inclusive education, cross-sector collaboration, and community empowerment toward sustainable development.

This achievement follows Ganies’s previous success in receiving the Outstanding Flagship Project RCE Awards 2023, which highlighted an integrated education system based on agrotourism potential. “This award demonstrates that the synergy between education, community empowerment, and environmental conservation can bring real transformation toward sustainability,” said Ganies. Through this recognition, the Faculty of Biology UGM continues to strengthen its commitment to advancing research-based education and community engagement for environmental sustainability and social welfare.

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.

The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, once again conducted the Animal Microtechnique Training Using the Paraffin Method specifically designed for students, held on October 14–16, 2025, at the Animal Developmental Structure Laboratory (SPH). This training marked Batch II of 2025 and was attended by 14 participants, consisting of seven undergraduate students from the Faculty of Biology UGM, five undergraduate applied students from the D4 Medical Laboratory Technology Program, Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (Unisa) Yogyakarta, and two doctoral students from the Faculty of Biology UGM. The training aimed to provide both theoretical understanding and practical skills in preparing animal histological specimens using the paraffin embedding method, which serves as a crucial foundation in anatomical, physiological, biomedical, and biotechnological studies. This activity aligns with SDG 4: Quality Education, by enhancing the quality of competency-based laboratory training and learning.

The training began with an opening remark by Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S.Si., M.Kes., Head of the Animal Developmental Structure Laboratory, who emphasized the importance of regenerating scientists in the field of animal microtechnique and histology. She pointed out that interest in fundamental sciences concerning the microscopic structure of animals and humans has been declining, even though this field plays a vital role in supporting the advancement of other disciplines such as biomedicine, forensics, biodiversity, agriculture, and animal husbandry. Therefore, the SPH Laboratory remains committed to increasing both the quantity and quality of experts in this discipline through structured training and research programs. This effort supports SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, particularly in strengthening research and technological capacity for biological sciences advancement.

The second opening address was delivered by Prof. Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, S.Si., M.Sc., Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Biology UGM, who officially inaugurated the event. In his remarks, Prof. Bambang highlighted the importance of such training in equipping students to understand how academics and researchers validate their scientific work. According to him, microtechnique skills are essential for ensuring the accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability of scientific data, which are critical for the development of applied biological sciences. This initiative also contributes to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, as it helps prepare competent professionals and researchers in biological and health laboratories who are ready to compete in both academic and industrial sectors.

Over the course of three days, participants received a combination of theoretical sessions and intensive hands-on practice covering various steps, including euthanasia, necropsy, tissue fixation, dehydration, paraffin infiltration, microtome sectioning, staining, and microscopic analysis of the prepared specimens. Participants were also encouraged to discuss common challenges encountered during histological specimen preparation and collaboratively seek solutions with the instructors. The training featured speakers from the SPH Laboratory, including Prof. Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, S.Si., M.Sc.; Susilo Hadi, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D.; Dr. med. vet. drh. Hendry Saragih, M.P.; Zuliyati Rohmah, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D.Eng.; Dr. Ardaning Nuriliani, S.Si., M.Kes.; Dr. Luthfi Nurhidayat, S.Si., M.Sc.; and Nur Indah Septriani, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., as well as laboratory technicians Sefi Nur Anggaeni, S.Si. and Suwardi A., with Siti Aeniah, S.Pd. (Master’s student) serving as assistant instructor. The event was held in an interactive and enthusiastic atmosphere, strengthening collaboration across educational levels and contributing to SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through synergy among lecturers, students, and laboratory staff in advancing scientific capacity. The skills gained from this training are expected to be applied by participants in their future academic and professional careers, serving as a valuable foundation for the advancement of biological and health research.

Contributors: Ardaning Nuriliani and Sefi Nur Anggaeni

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