Paramaribo, April 15, 2025 – The delegation of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) continued the second day of their official visit to Suriname with a number of strategic agendas to expand the international cooperation network and establish friendship with the Javanese diaspora in the country. The delegation was led by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, accompanied by Dr. Slamet Widiyanto (Vice Dean for Finance, Assets, and Human Resources Affairs), and Dr. Eko Agus Suyono (Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs).

The agenda of the second day of the visit began with a meeting with Dr. Marciano Dasai, Minister of Spatial Planning and Environment of Suriname who is also a UGM alumnus. This meeting discussed the potential for cooperation in sending Surinamese staff for further studies at the Faculty of Biology UGM. In addition, both parties also explored research and development collaboration in various strategic areas such as food security, biodiversity database management, carbon credit, bioprospecting, renewable energy, agriculture, and climate resilience. In the afternoon, the delegation met with Surinamese parliamentarian Evert Legiran Kerto, as well as the management of the Pertjaja Luhur Party, the largest Javanese-based party in Suriname. The discussion focused on opportunities for cooperation in human resource development and technology transfer, as a form of synergy between Indonesian higher education institutions and elements of the Javanese community in Suriname.

The visit continued to Saramakka District, about 50 km from the capital city of Paramaribo, to meet with Javanese community leaders, namely Mr. H. Subari and his family: Mr. David K. Karso and Mrs. Noer Latifah Laily. This meeting was an important event to introduce the Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs of the Faculty of Biology UGM, as well as to strengthen relations between UGM and the Javanese diaspora community.

Previously, the delegation was also accompanied by staff from the Indonesian Embassy in Suriname, Mrs. Anissa and Mrs. Risa, during a visit to Mrs. Carla Grossman, Director of the QSI International School of Suriname. This visit aims to promote the International Program (IUP) of the Faculty of Biology UGM to prospective international students.

This visit is part of the Faculty of Biology UGM’s efforts to encourage the internationalization of higher education and strengthen Indonesia’s role in the global arena through cross-country educational and research cooperation, especially with the Indonesian diaspora community.

Through this initiative, it is hoped that the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Suriname can be strengthened, not only in the context of education, but also in the economic, social, and cultural sectors. This initiative also prioritizes the principles of sustainable development which are part of a shared commitment to the SDGs, especially support for inclusive education for all groups (SDG 4 and 10), as well as support for research that contributes to environmental conservation and handling climate change (SDG 13).

Paramaribo, April 14, 2025 – In an effort to expand international networks and strengthen educational relations between countries, the delegation of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) consisting of Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. as Dean, Dr. Slamet Widiyanto, M.Sc. Vice Dean for Finance, Assets, and Human Resources Affairs, and Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration, and Alumni Affairs, made an official visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Paramaribo, Suriname.

The delegation was warmly welcomed by the Principal Authorized Representative of the Indonesian Embassy in Suriname, Mr. Sadikin, along with staff, namely Mrs. Anisa and Miss Risa. In the productive discussion, several important agendas were discussed, including the promotion of scholarship programs for students, teachers, lecturers and government staff from Suriname to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Biology UGM.

Suriname has strong historical ties with Indonesia. More than 135 years ago, the Javanese people first migrated to Suriname as contract workers. Today, their descendants are an important part of the country’s social and political life, although many of them are no longer fluent in Javanese.

Efforts to re-establish cooperation in the fields of education and culture have actually been carried out since the New Order era under the leadership of President Soeharto. Now, this spirit has been renewed by opening up collaboration spaces not only in the fields of education and culture, but also expanded to the economic, industrial, and environmental sectors.

Suriname is also known as a country with zero carbon emissions (zero CO₂ emissions) and as the most forested country in the world. In fact, there is one province whose entire territory is forest so that it does not have its own capital city, and must be represented by the country’s capital. This opens up great potential for cooperation in the fields of biodiversity and conservation as well as climate change, including CO₂ capture which is the main strength of the Faculty of Biology UGM.

On this occasion, the UGM delegation also met with a member of parliament of Javanese descent, Mr. Moertabat Wanica Sidik who is the older brother of the Surinamese Ambassador to Indonesia. He expressed his full support for efforts to increase cooperation that can help prepare Suriname’s human resources, especially the young generation of Indonesian descent, to be able to fill strategic positions in government and other sectors. Currently, there are at least three ministers and several directors who are of Javanese descent and some of them are UGM alumni.

Through this initiative, it is expected to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Suriname, not only in the context of education, but also in the economic, social, and cultural sectors. This initiative also prioritizes the principles of sustainable development which are part of a shared commitment to the SDGs, especially support for inclusive education for all groups (SDG 4 and 10), as well as support for research that contributes to environmental conservation and handling climate change (SDG 13).

On Friday, 21st of March 2025 at 1-2.30 PM, Gentalk 4 was held in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Biology UGM. This program is targeted for all Formasigen members and Biology UGM students in general. Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., as Formasigen’s supervisor lecturer, also attended this program. Gentalk is an active discussion and sharing session between alumni or senior student and Formasigen’s member about the undergraduate thesis they are working on. In this Gentalk edition, the speaker is Laura Silka Karawina Rokhmat, Faculty of Biology UGM students batch 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Dra. Tuty Arisuryanti, M.Sc., Ph.D for her undergraduate thesis.

This program started with an opening from the Master of Ceremony, Ghefira Nurrahima Tsuraya, as a part of the Public Relation Division of HomeoGenesis Cabinet, followed by an opening speech by Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. as the supervisor lecturer of Formasigen. The next activity is a presentation about “Genetic Variation Northern Calling Fiddler Crab, Gelasimus Borealis (Crane, 1975), from Kulon Progo, D.I.Yogyakarta Using 16s rRNA Mitochondrial Gene”. In this session, she shares about identification methods and genetic variation analysis of Northern Calling Fiddler Crab, Gelasimus Borealis, using 16s rRNA mitochondrial gene. After that, is the Q&A session followed by closing from the master of ceremony. Through Gentalk, we hoped that this could be a good start to create a vessel for an interesting and beneficial discussion. We also hope that this program can give a better understanding about all the research done by all the lecturers and their students in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Biologi UGM. This research also hoped to help actualize the 15^th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that is Life On Land.

On Friday, 14th of March 2025 at 1-2.30 PM, Gentalk 3 was held in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Biology UGM. This program is targeted for all Formasigen members and Biology UGM students in general. Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., as Formasigen’s supervisor lecturer, also attended this program. Gentalk is an active discussion and sharing session between alumni or senior student and Formasigen’s member about the undergraduate thesis they are working on. In the third Gentalk of this year, the speaker is Tan Rendy, Faculty of Biology UGM students batch 2022 under the supervision of Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. for his undergraduate thesis.

This program started with an opening from the Master of Ceremony, Winda Lutfiana Hafidz, as a part of the Public Relation Division of HomeoGenesis Cabinet. The next activity is a presentation from Rendy about “ Genetic Transformation of Plants Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens”. In this session, Rendy shares his experience during the IISMA program in the UBC (University of British Columbia) surrounding genetic engineering including methods used in doing genetic transformation for the purpose of plant breeding. In this session, Rendy also talked about various websites to search for gene sequences such as Phytozone and also websites for designing primer such as Primer3Plus. He also shared how to verify the validity of the primer we designed using websites such as NCBI. In NCBI there is a feature called BLAST to check if the designed primer is specific to a certain gene. After that, is the Q&A session followed by closing from the master of ceremony. Through Gentalk, we hoped that this could be a good start to create a vessel for an interesting and beneficial discussion. We also hope that this program can give a better understanding about all the research done by all the lecturers and their students in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Biologi UGM. This research also hoped to help actualize the second Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that is no hunger.

Dr. Rury Eprilurahman, S.Si., M.Sc., lecturer and researcher from the Animal Systematics Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, conducted a training program on Wildlife Identification Techniques for staff members of the Biodiversity Section, Environmental Division of PT Freeport Indonesia from March 17 to 22, 2025.

Staff from the Biodiversity Unit attended the training, which aimed to strengthen their capacity to identify four major terrestrial vertebrate taxa: amphibians, Reptiles, Birds (Aves), and Mammals. The program combined in-class theoretical sessions with hands-on field practices conducted in PT Freeport Indonesia’s operational area.

In addition to taxonomy and morphological identification, the participants were introduced to wildlife sampling techniques, scientific photography, and specimen preservation methods, including wet preservation and basic taxidermy. The training was delivered interactively, with participants showing great enthusiasm during both practical sessions and scientific discussions.

The training reflects the Faculty of Biology UGM’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, particularly in Papua, which is recognized as one of Indonesia’s most biologically rich regions.

This training aimed to equip biodiversity staff with the skills to accurately identify and document wildlife within the working area, which will support evidence-based conservation efforts.

This activity also aligns with Universitas Gadjah Mada’s broader mission to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land), which focuses on protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing terrestrial ecosystems, and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing human resource capacity in the life sciences.

The training program serves as a collaborative engagement model between academia and industry, advancing sustainable, science-based environmental management.

Yogyakarta, March 20, 2025 – The Entomology Laboratory of the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), conducted a training session on the Identification and Rearing of Wood and Bamboo Pest Insects. The training was attended by students, Entomology Laboratory lecturers (Drs. Hari Purwanto, M.P., Ph.D., Dr. Eng. Atikah Fitria Muharromah, S.Si., M.Eng., Aryo Seto Pandu W., S.Si., M.Sc.), and laboratory staff (Rio Tri Rahmawati, S.Si.) as part of the implementation of the KDM and Lit-MBKM Research Grant 2025.

This event featured Drs. Agus Ismanto, a researcher in wood and bamboo pests from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), as the main speaker. The session was officially opened by the Head of the Entomology Laboratory and continued with a presentation by Drs. Agus Ismanto. He delivered an in-depth training on rearing techniques and the identification of pest insects that commonly attack wood and bamboo, two crucial commodities in Indonesia’s handicraft industry.

According to Drs. Agus Ismanto, identifying pest insects is a crucial first step in effective pest management. During the training, participants learned various identification techniques using microscopes and other tools such as loops. They were also trained to recognize the physical characteristics of different pest species commonly found in wood and bamboo, including Dynoderus sp., Lyctus sp., and Mynthea sp.. Additionally, the session covered various solutions to combat pest infestations that could degrade the quality of wood and bamboo. These solutions included environmentally friendly methods such as soaking and boiling the wood or bamboo in water.

This training also aimed to strengthen collaboration between academics, researchers, and students in an effort to enhance understanding of the importance of protecting wood and bamboo from pest infestations, which could impact both economic and ecological sectors.

The event is expected to bring significant benefits to all participants while expanding knowledge about the role of insects as pests and the importance of entomological research in improving the quality of wood and bamboo craft commodities in Indonesia.

This training not only provided academic benefits but also contributed to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 15: Life on Land.

Yogyakarta, March 12, 2025 – Faculty of Biology Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) once again held a Sharing Session event regarding the Double Degree program with the University of Leeds, UK. This event was held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 and aimed to provide students with a deeper understanding of international study opportunities through the Double Degree program.

This event was hosted by the Coordinator of the International Undergraduate Program, Tyas Ikhsan Hikmawan, S.Si., M.S., Ph.D., who explained various aspects of the Double Degree program and the benefits that can be obtained by UGM students who participate in the program. On this occasion, a representative from the University of Leeds, Premila Kanaphaty, was also present to provide further information regarding the Leeds campus, available facilities, and registration procedures for participating in the Double Degree program.

“This Double Degree Program is part of the collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and the University of Leeds, which allows students to obtain degrees from two leading international universities,” said Dr. Tyas in his speech.

Premila Kanaphaty also gave an interesting presentation about campus life in Leeds, as well as various facilities that support students’ success in pursuing their education. In addition, she also explained the registration procedure and requirements to be able to participate in the Double Degree program.

Since this collaboration began, the Faculty of Biology UGM has sent seven students to participate in the Double Degree program at the University of Leeds, who are currently continuing their studies there. The enthusiasm of UGM students for this program is very high, as evidenced by the large number of participants who attended and actively asked questions during the sharing session.

This Double Degree Program provides a golden opportunity for students to broaden their horizons and develop their academic abilities in an international environment, while opening up wider career opportunities in the future.[aulia]

On Friday, 28th of February 2025 at 1-1.30 PM, Gentalk 2 was held in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Biology UGM. This program is targeted for all Formasigen members and Biology UGM students in general. Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., as Formasigen’s supervisor lecturer, also attended this program. Gentalk is an active discussion and sharing session between alumni or senior student and Formasigen’s member about the undergraduate thesis they are working on. In the second Gentalk of this year, there are 3 speakers, which are Muhammad Ariq Alfito, Muhammad Sena Budiman, Muhammad Fatih. All of them are Faculty of Biology UGM students batch 2021 under the supervision of Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. for their undergraduate thesis.

This program started with an opening from the Master of Ceremony, Aliyah Syahidah, as a part of the Public Relation of HomeoGenesis Cabinet, followed by an opening speech by Mrs. Ganies Riza Aristya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. as the supervisor lecturer of Formasigen. In the speech, Mrs. Ganies expressed her hope for this program to be held more consistently and better so that this program can be a vessel for knowledge sharing and discussion for all Faculty of Biology’s students. The next activity is a presentation from all three speakers about “ Phylogenetics of Strawberry”. This presentation contains the history and uniqueness of strawberries that have gone through several evolution processes before being the usual fruit that we eat. Presenters also give insight about the importance of learning about phylogenetics and all the important components of the phylogenetic tree. Another thing being shared is all the steps to produce a good visualisation and interpretation of a phylogenetic tree. After that, is the Q&A session followed by closing from the master of ceremony. With the success of the second Gentalk of this year, we hoped that this could be a good start to be a vessel for an interesting and beneficial discussion. We also hope that this program can give a better understanding about all the research done by all the lecturers and their students in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Biologi UGM. This research also hoped to help actualized the second Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that is no hunger.

Starting from Monday, January 27, until Friday, February 21, 2025, a faculty member from the Faculty of Biology UGM, Prof. Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri, had the opportunity to participate in the training program “Gene Editing for Indica Rice and Excellence Through Stewardship” at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, the Philippines. This program is a significant milestone of the KONEKSI partnership program between Australia and Indonesia, titled “Building a Sustainable Future: Developing Nutritious and Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties” in collaboration with IRRI Philippines and BRIN Indonesia. Aimed at enhancing capacity building, this funding also provided an opportunity for a young lecturer, Dr. Siti Nurbaiti, to take part in the program, as she is also conducting research on rice.

During the four-week training at IRRI, all activities were supervised by Dr. Inez Slamet-Loedin, an Indonesian diaspora who also serves as Principal Scientist and Head of the Genetic Design and Validation Unit at IRRI, Philippines. Before actively engaging in laboratory activities, Prof. Yekti and Dr. Baiti had to complete an online course on Good and Safe Laboratory Practices, studied about Stewardship, Biosafety, and Regulations regarding plant products derived from the use of Plant Breeding Innovations (PBIs) in the Philippines. In general, these genome editing activities in the Rice Breeding Innovation unit involved two laboratories: Gene Editing and Transformation Lab (GETL) led by Dr. Inez Slamet-Loedin, and Gene Identification and Validation Lab (GIV) led by Dr. Sung Ryul Kim.

The introduction to Genome Editing (GEd), Escherichia coli plasmid vector design and guide RNA construction, oligonucleotide duplex synthesis, ligation, Agrobacterium transformation, confirmation and validation, and glycerol stock preparation were conducted in the GIV Lab. The developed constructs were then transferred to the GETL Lab, where they were introduced into plants through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of immature embryos via tissue culture. The resulting plants were grown in regulated greenhouse and screenhouse facilities, followed by mutation screening using molecular genotyping analysis from DNA and phenotyping analysis based on growth and development parameters such as tillering capacity, leaf number, leaf greenness, and stress responses. Additionally, Prof. Yekti and Dr. Baiti also studied seed processing, covering harvesting, storage techniques, and maintaining seed viability for both daily use and long-term preservation. Some GEd projects conducted include the development of rice varieties with enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and the improvement of Zinc (Zn) and Iron (Fe) content in rice.

In addition to laboratory activities, Prof. Yekti and Dr. Baiti had the opportunity to visit the IRRI Genebank, which houses a vast collection of cultivated rice varieties from various countries, including wild rice species. They also explored the Speed Breeding Facilities, which enable studies on rice growth and development under various controlled environmental conditions. Meetings and discussions with experts from various fields were also conducted, including Dr. R. Mauleon and Dr. Dmytro Chebotarov, experts in bioinformatics, who introduced the SNP-Seek platform, which was developed by IRRI (https://snp-seek.irri.org/); Dr. Amelia Henry, an expert in root system research; and Rice breeders from Korea. The program concluded with a final presentation summarizing all the knowledge and experiences gained, held on Friday, February 21, 2025. During the training, Dr. Baiti also had the opportunity to meet with a collaborator from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alona C. Linatoc, who has been actively involved in the Summer Course program organized by the Faculty of Biology UGM.

This program also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Looking ahead, it is hoped that more collaborations and opportunities will be created to continuously enhance the capacity of faculty members at the Faculty of Biology, UGM, further contributing to the advancement of education in Indonesia.

Yogyakarta, February 26, 2025 – Sixteen students from the Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), participated in the Sakura Science Program at the Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, Japan. The program took place from February 15 to 23, 2025.

Accompanied by Prof. Dr. Bambang Retnoaji, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, the students began their activities with a field trip to the Mt. Gassan region to observe the environmental conditions covered in heavy snow in northern Japan. Led by Prof. Jun Yokoyama, the students were also taken on a tour of Yamagata City.

The following day, February 17, 2025, the students attended a series of lectures on biodiversity and recent advances in biological studies delivered by several professors, including Dr. Taisuke Kanao on “Termitophily: Unique insect diversity in termite nests”, Prof. Naoyuki Fujiyama on “Diversity of Asian insects with particular attention to researches on herbivorous ladybird beetles”, and Prof. Yutaka Miyazawa on “How do plant roots respond to water deficit? : Physiological and molecular biological dissection of root hydrotropism”.

From February 18 to 21, 2025, the students conducted a series of practical activities, including material selection for experiments, DNA isolation from organisms, DNA sequencing, and data analysis from PCR results. The outcomes of these activities were then compiled into reports and presented.

This program not only focused on academic aspects but also provided opportunities for students to learn about Japanese culture by visiting the Yamagata Prefectural Museum.

The Sakura Science Program aims to strengthen cooperation and knowledge exchange between the Faculty of Biology, UGM, and Yamagata University. This activity is expected to broaden students’ knowledge and insights in biology and strengthen the Faculty of Biology’s international network.