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French Ambassador visits UNAIR to discuss collaborations

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) continues to establish international collaborations with various partners. This collaboration is part of UNAIR’s commitment to implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. With respect to the commitment, UNAIR received a visit from the French Ambassador to Indonesia on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.

The visit of H. E. Fabien Penone and his entourage were welcomed directly by UNAIR Rector, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nasih SE MT Ak and his staff. The meeting occurred in the Balairua Plenary Meeting Room, 4th Floor, MERR-C UNAIR Campus Management Office.

In his remarks, Prof. Nasih said that currently, UNAIR works with partners from various countries, including France. The collaborations include activities in the fields of academics, research, and community service.

“UNAIR has collaborated with more than ten institutions in France, especially in academics, research, and community service,” he said.

The urgency of collaboration

French Ambassador to Indonesia, H. E. Fabien Panone, expressed his interest in working with educational institutions in Indonesia, including UNAIR. The collaborations specifically aim to resolve global issues and strengthen the global economy.

“We need solid partners to solve global issues and strengthen the global economy. Indonesia is one of the countries that is already in France’s priorities, especially as a global cooperation partner,” he explained.

Fabien said that UNAIR is one of the universities that has made many important contributions to Indonesia. For this reason, collaboration is one of the important steps that must be taken by both parties immediately.

Form of collaborations

Furthermore, Fabien said that one form of collaborations that could be established between UNAIR and France was the exchange of students and academics. From 2017 to 2022, UNAIR and several partner institutions in France collaborated on student and staff mobility.

“The student exchange program is certainly one of the potential collaborations we will carry out. Later France will provide a program to invite UNAIR students to study and understand French culture,” the French Ambassador explained.

Furthermore, Fabien also said that collaboration in science, social humanities, and health research was one of the most promising collaborations between UNAIR and France.

The form of collaboration that will take place soon is a program called Photography and New Media Education for Youth Empowerment from 2-15 September 2023. The program is a collaboration between Wisma Jerman and IFI Surabaya. In this program, UNAIR, through the World University Association for Community Development (WUACD) and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), had the opportunity to become the main organizer. (*)

UNAND Ready to be Part of Top 500 World Class University (WCU) Ranking

Posted on by Editorial Team

Padang (UNAND) – Universitas Andalas (UNAND) is one of the best universities in Indonesia. It is a Legal Entity State University. Universitas Andalas has a mission to be part of the Top 500 World Class University (WCU). In realizing that mission, all of the lecturers, students, academic communities, and stakeholders always conduct their best efforts in various programs and activities.

To accelerate the internationalization, Universitas Andalas provides scholarship programs for prospective students from various countries around the world. Admission of foreign students is carried out throughout 3 mechanisms such as independent scheme (regular), cooperation and scholarship.

Independent scheme (regular) is kind of mechanism when the foreign students apply their selves to be a student in Universitas Andalas which is the funding endured by their selves. The cooperation scheme is between countries (Government to Government/G to G) or with other international organizations with financing based on a mutual agreement. Meanwhile, the scholarship scheme is in the form of scholarships provided by Universitas Andalas for foreign students.

This scholarship is prepared for one foreign student per study program. This scholarship also covers all levels of education such as undergraduate, master and doctoral programs. Currently, the interest of foreign students is high enough to continue their education at Universitas Andalas. Most of the foreign students who apply their selves to Universitas Andalas come from Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

During 2023, Universitas Andalas organizes six Summer Course Programs. They are Primate Behavior and Conservation, International Nursing Camp Program, Minangkabau for the Global Community, Fast Fashion Industries and Climate Change: How Industry and Individuals Can Mitigate Fashion’s Environmental Impact, Trekking the Patches of Minangkabau Matrilineal Culture, and Traditional Knowledge of Minangkabau People and Intellectual Property Rights Protection.

In June 2023, Universitas Andalas was holding a Summer Course Program by inviting foreign students from two countries, namely Cambodia and Vietnam. They learnt so many things in the study programs that had been internationally accredited and had held international classes such as the Faculties of Medicine, Economics, Engineering, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Pharmacy, and others.

Currently, Universitas Andalas has several study programs that have received international accreditation. These study programs include Management and Development Economics Study Program has been accredited by AUN QA and FIBAA, Master of Management Study Program has been accredited by ABEST and FIBAA, Accounting Study Program has been accredited by AUN QA and FIBAA, Master of Accounting Study Program has been accredited by FIBAA, Pharmacy Study Program has been accredited by AUN QA, Medical Study Program has been accredited by AUN QA, Biology Study Program has been accredited by AUN QA and ASIIN, Physical Study Program has been accredited by AUN QA, Mechanical Engineering Study Program has been accredited by ABET, Electrical Engineering Study Program has been accredited by IABEE, Industrial Engineering Study Program has been accredited by ABET, Environmental Engineering has been accredited by ABET and IABEE, Indonesian and Japan Literature Study Program has been accredited by FIBAA, Computer Engineering Study Program has been accredited by IABEE, Chemistry Study Program has been accredited by RSC, and Master of Biology Study Program has been accredited by ASIIN.

In addition, Universitas Andalas is excelled in many fields. Firstly, it is a university with the most patent applicants in 2020 to 2022 in Indonesia. Secondly, having a modern central laboratory that can be used by Universitas Andalas’ students and researchers particularly and Indonesian’s students and researchers generally. Thirdly, learning systems are supported by smart class rooms in various faculties. Thirdly, having a living laboratory: indigenous natural resources as a research on disaster management in Indonesia. Next, product research used by industry/commercial private sector in Indonesia in the form of gambir election ink and Universitas Andalas also has references for research in the cash crop sector.

UNAIR researcher presents work at Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2023

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) has shown its presence as a world-class university. Many UNAIR’s researchers have performed well nationally and internationally, including Prof. Dr. Fedik Abdul Rantam, DVM. The UNAIR accomplished researcher was entrusted to attend and be involved in the prestigious 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany, on Monday, June 26, 2023. Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting ( LNLM ) is a prestigious event for researchers and scientists at the international level.

Become selected researcher
In this prestigious event, Prof. Fedik was selected as one of the Indonesian research delegates. He admitted that he was grateful and proud because each researcher only had the opportunity to attend and be involved in the event once. “Alhamdulillah, I can share with the best young researchers from various countries and can have direct discussions with the Nobel laureates. Moreover, we researchers only get one chance in a lifetime to be involved in this meeting,” said Prof. Fedik. Being a selected researcher in this event is not easy because various criteria must be met. As published by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture’s website, researchers must first participate in a selection. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and Research and Technology will submit the final decision to the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Foundation.

Presenting domestic vaccine development
On that occasion, Prof. Fedik presented his work titled Indonesia in Overcoming Covid-19 Pandemic and Domestic Vaccine Development. He explained how Indonesia handled the Covid-19 pandemic, including developing the Merah Putih vaccine initiated by UNAIR researchers.  “In the meeting, I presented our Covid-19 vaccine, which is the work of the nation’s researchers, and it received a positive response from the participants. They were interested in our vaccine’s advantages and how to determine the isolate as a unit seed vaccine,” said the Head of UNAIR Vaccine Research and Development Center. Furthermore, the UNAIR Virology and Immunology Expert also revealed that his team is preparing the second-generation vaccine, the cocktail vaccine. He added that even though the administration has declared the pandemic as an endemic, it does not mean cases of Covid-19 transmission can be ignored. For this reason, continuing this vaccine research is still necessary as a preventive effort. “Furthermore, I also conveyed that my team and I are preparing a second-generation vaccine called the cocktail vaccine. Even though the status is currently considered endemic, vaccination is still needed to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” he added.

This year, Indonesia through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, has the opportunity to partner with the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, which is focused on Physiology and Medicine. Indonesia sent several outstanding researchers from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) and Gadjah Mada University (UGM) for the meeting. The researchers joined more than 600 other selected young researchers from around the world to meet the Nobel Prize laureates face to face.

ITS, GMF AeroAsia to launch environmentally-friendly equipment for aircraft industry

Posted on by ITS Global Engagement

Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) and Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF) AeroAsia have launched two environmentally friendly Ground Support Equipment products, namely Electric Vehicle RC Pushback Tug and Material Handling Car. The launch was held at GMF AeroAsia’s Innovation Day event in Jakarta on March 1, 2023. The launch was attended by Mr. Nadiem Anwar Makarim as the Indonesian Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Dr. Bambang Pramujati as the ITS’ Vice Rector IV for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Alumni, Mr. Andi Fahrurrozi as the CEO of GMP AeroAsia, and researchers involved from ITS. The products were created to facilitate the distribution and supply of aircraft parts or components, both in the warehouse area, workshop, hangar, and apron area.

The Electric Vehicle RC Pushback Tug and Material Handling Car are part of a research collaboration between ITS and GMF AeroAsia that aims to make the aircraft industry more efficient and effective while reducing its environmental impact. The project is led by Dr. Nani Kurniawati from the Department of Industrial and System Engineering for the Electric Vehicle RC Pushback Tug and Dr. Bambang Sudarmanta from the Department of Mechanical Engineering for the Material Handling Car. The project is funded by the Kedaireka Matching Fund program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology funds.

The Electric Vehicle RC Pushback Tug is made to address the high operational costs of conventional tugs used in the aircraft industry. The tug can pull large-tonnage objects such as aircraft up to 60 tons, making it efficient and effective. It also becomes the only one in the world that can replace the conventional pushback from fossil fuels. This innovation is not only more cost-effective but also has a positive impact on the environment, as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and lowers operational costs.

The Material Handling Car was created to support the airport’s ecosystem by replacing conventional fuel-based carriers. The car uses electric-based technology with a real-time monitoring system, making it more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Moreover, it features an easy energy storage system and low maintenance through the battery modular system as the leading sector in the application of electric-based vehicles in the airport area. The team believes that the car will have a positive impact on the airport area’s Green Environment Ecosystem, making it a more sustainable and efficient option for airport operations.

The products are designed to be environmentally friendly and easy to maintain, with a modular battery system that makes them efficient and reliable. The teams believe that these products will have a positive impact on the airport area’s Green Environment Ecosystem. The CEO of GMF AeroAsia, Mr. Andi Fahrurrozi, expressed his gratitude to ITS for the research collaboration. He said that GMF was pleased to provide a platform for academics to continue conducting research and that the company was open to other potential topics. This collaboration between ITS and GMF AeroAsia stakeholders is a great example of how academia and industry can work together to make a positive impact on society and the environment.

In conclusion, the launch of these groundbreaking products marks a significant milestone in the aviation industry’s push towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. With innovative solutions like the Electric Vehicle RC Pushback Tug and Material Handling Car, we can reduce our carbon footprint and create a more efficient and effective airport ecosystem.

Universitas Sumatera Utara researchers study key indicators for mangrove restoration success

Posted on by Editorial Team

Rapid mangrove loss rates have prompted the urgent implementation of conservation and restoration programs. Currently, restoration efforts have high failure rates (mainly because they only consider intensive planting of mangrove seedlings, often in monocultures and low-lying tidal flats. In many cases, this approach must pay more attention to measuring ecosystem habitat functionality and adaptive management.

A study from the Center of Excellence for Mangrove Universitas Sumatera Utara (CoE for Mangrove USU) recently reported that macrozoobenthic community assemblage is a key indicator for mangrove restoration success. The idea behind this new study, led by Prof. Mohammad Basyuni of Universitas Sumatera Utara and Dr. Alejandra G. Vovides of the University of Glasgow and published in the journal Restoration Ecology (https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13614), was simple. The recognition of the high value of mangrove forests and the wide array of ecosystem services they provide has motivated investment in worldwide restoration efforts. However, current metrics of functional restoration (other than seedling survival rates and plant community composition) are often not readily available for local community managers, highlighting an urgency to identify easy-to-measure indicators to assess the functionality of restored mangroves.

The macrozoobenthic community could be such a practical indicator, as macrozoobenthic communities are sensitive to changes in their environment and can be surveyed easily within local managing programs.

Macrozoobenthos on the roots of mangrove.

The study focusing on three main mangrove management conditions (natural, planted, and naturally regenerated) in North Sumatra and the province of Aceh, Indonesia, compared vegetation and macrozoobenthic community diversity indices and identified environmental variables that best describe the forest management conditions and their associated macrozoobenthic community assemblage. These land uses have further undergone mangrove vegetation recovery either due to abandonment followed by natural regeneration of mangroves or due to mangrove planting efforts. This provided the possibility to compare two management conditions (i.e., planted and naturally regenerated) with mature natural mangroves used as reference. The study found that the macrozoobenthic community can be used as a restoration indicator and could serve as a baseline to empower monitoring activities and community-based adaptive management practices to improve the outcomes of restoration efforts. Coastal communities that utilize the mangrove forest are familiar with the macrozoobenthos species. This familiarity will help in designing community-based monitoring programs to evaluate mangrove restoration success.

Macrozoobenthos.

Environmental conditions at mangrove restoration sites can rapidly change, as evidenced by Pulau Sembilan in Malaysia, which was first managed through planting between 2008 and 2012, but then additionally underwent hydrological connectivity restoration. Despite the limitations of this study, low pH and DO at Percut Sei Tuan are probable evidence of hydrologically impaired conditions. These environmental attributes, alongside the early pioneer vegetation recorded at Percut Sei Tuan, indicate low restoration success due to a continued hydrological impairment. However, allowing natural regeneration to occur without any intervention could result in functional recovery times becoming prolonged or even not occurring at all, depending on the nature, intensity, and duration of the disturbance (Ellison et al., 2020). Here, both vegetation and macrozoobenthos community assemblages formed three distinct groups associated with management. The vegetation NMDS showed high dissimilarities between natural and planted mangroves, where the differences in vegetation and environmental attributes might, in turn, influence the macrozoobenthic community assemblage, as was found to occur in riparian streams.

CoE for Mangrove USU is collaborating with the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, and the Department of Environment, Thuyloi University, Vietnam. The project suggested that identifying indicator species to support rapid bio-assessments can aid conservation diagnostics and management program design. Overall, the study showed that the community assemblage has the potential to be an indicator of mangrove functional restoration success. It showed that natural mangrove regeneration favors the recovery of macrozoobenthic functional groups over plantations. Facilitating natural mangrove regeneration through ecological and hydrological restoration may take longer than direct planting. Still, it will create the suitable flooding regimes and “natural” species assemblages needed to facilitate the functional recovery of the macrozoobenthic communities. Documenting the macrozoobenthic community under different mangrove conditions (including bare mudflats) and throughout the restoration programs can help understand the functional restoration trajectories. Further, combining nature-based solutions such as elevation or hydrological restoration with planting or dispersal of local pioneer species could accelerate the natural functional recovery of ecosystems.

Literaku: an Indonesian-language literacy application that opens a door to quality education for blind people 

Posted on by Editorial Team

The fourth point of the United Nations SDG ensures that everyone has access to and receives a quality education inclusively and equitably, covering all races and groups, including blind people with limitations in getting an equal quality of education. According to The Lancet Global Health Commission, in 2020, of the 596 million people with vision impairment worldwide, 43.4 million of them suffered complete blindness.

Hoping to aid those with vision impairment to gain quality education, a few students from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology Universitas Sumatera Utara created a learning application for modern mobile devices. The team, chaired by Khairul Imam along with Fitri Aulia Fadillah Nasution, Eric Martin, Muhammad Ghozali, and Farhan Doli Fadhiil Siagian, and supervised by Dr. Amalia, ST., MT., concluded that one of the major problems faced by visually-impaired people is the limited and expensive resources available to them, such as braille books while themselves having the low ability to read braille. They also need access to alternative sources, such as audiobooks in the Indonesian language. The team’s answer to these problems is Literaku, a mobile learning application for vision-impairment sufferers.

The team initiated the Literaku application as an innovative, solution-based application based on Google Cloud APIs technology to improve literacy for blind people. The application contributes to maximizing the use of Indonesian voice commands by understanding the meaning of the closest word through Natural Language Processing support to assist the user in finding materials and carrying out all activities in the application. Literaku application can be used to complement and even substitute braille-format books.

Literaku works by converting various visual forms into vocals. A wide range of materials, such as Portable Document Format (PDF) textbooks, scientific articles, modules, novels, and comics, can be converted using the Screen Reader feature. The app is designed with user-friendliness in mind; thanks to integrated Google Cloud APIs and a speech interface, this allows blind users to start, browse, and operate the application by themselves.

The application has undergone several tests to obtain accurate user experience feedback and ensure efficiency. The team has gained highly pleasing results from users, who rated the application’s usability testing level at 100% and satisfaction level at 89.60%.

Literaku gained national recognition and success in 2022 when the team made it into the National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS) finals after receiving funding from the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The team has successfully obtained copyrights for Literaku, published it at an international conference, and made it available on the Play Store for free. The team continues to develop and optimize the application to expand its impact by implementing it for visually-impaired students at a special-needs school SLBA YAPENTRA in Tanjung Morawa, Medan, North Sumatra, through a Community Service program. The team hopes that Literaku will excite the visually impaired in Indonesia, especially students, to explore their potential and open a new page in their life by giving access to a literacy application packed with educational and entertaining resources that are free and fun to use.

Nuclear medicine and realtime PCR system for better health services in the future

Posted on by Editorial Team

Nuclear medicine is a unique field of science and plays an important role in the medical field. This science uses open radiation energy from the nuclear nucleus to assess organ function, diagnose, treat and treat diseases. Professor of Nuclear Medicine, Prof. Dr. dr. Aisyah Elliyanti, SpKN (K).,MKes, Faculty of Medicine, Andalas University said “Nuclear medicine plays a major role in the treatment of cancer that is more integrated and comprehensive, so that cancer patients no longer need to move abroad for therapy,”

Nuclear medicine thernostic concept that provides systematically integrated information for diagnosing disease, so that disease management can be more efficient, and trial and error can be avoided. As an example, adjuvant therapy for thyroid cancer is differentiated by using radioactive iodine which can increase the cure rate. This is an example of thearonostics application using radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy.

Multiplex Realtime PCR for the detection of high-risk human papilloma virus as a cause of cervical cancer

Uterine cervical cancer or cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death in women worldwide, including Indonesia. World data for 2020 shows that out of 600 thousand cases, there were 342 thousand deaths, while in Indonesia alone, out of 36 thousand cases, 21 thousand deaths were found.

Various screening methods have been developed for the detection of this malignancy, such as the pap smear or Acetic Acid Visual Inspection (IVA) to see changes in mucosal cells, but this method is more functional for detecting existing cancer cells. On the other hand, more than 90% of cervical cancers are associated with certain types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection which are categorized as ‘high risk types’, namely HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68, 73, and 82, although the predominant types are 16 and 18. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 10% of women with HPV infection will develop cervical cancer. This is the basis that HPV screening is the best method to prevent the development of cervical cancer in women.

The Diagnostic and Research Center for Infectious Diseases (PDRPI) Faculty of Medicine, Andalas University, in collaboration with the Indonesian Obstetrics and Gynecology Association (POGI), especially the Oncology division, has formed a team to detect a diagnostic method based on nucleic acid amplification using the Multiplex Real Time PCR approach. The team consists of Dr.dr. Andani Eka Putra, MSc, dr. Linosefa, SpMK, Dr. Syandres Prima Putra, MSc from PDRPI and Dr.dr. Syamel Muhammad, SpOG, Onk, Dr.dr. Bobby Indra Utama SpOG from POGI.

The results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the results reached 100% when compared with standard detection methods using GP and MY primers. However, this method is more effective and efficient because it does not require electrophoresis after nucleic acid amplification. The method we have developed is capable of simultaneously detecting 5 (five) types of HPV, namely 11, 16, 18, 45 and 52 within a maximum of 3 hours after the sample is received.

The research results have obtained a commercial collaboration with PT. Crown Technology Indonesia. Currently in the process of obtaining a Distribution Permit Number (NIE). The composition of the Domestic Component Level (TKDN) is around 60%, and is targeted to reach more than 90% within the next 1 year.

The achievements of IPB University alumni in various sectors

Posted on by Editorial Team

IPB University alumni are known for their integrity, innovation, and inspiration. The alumni, who are spread in various fields, play an important role in the nation’s life. Not only at the far reaches of the archipelago but all over the world.

Haidhar Wurjanto’s fight to raise the name Esteh Indonesia is one of the alumni’s achievements in Indonesia. Haidhar rose to prominence at a young age. It began with a modest product idea that many people liked, and it eventually grew into something unique. “Never underestimate your own ideas, even if you think they are too simple,” Haidhar advised.

Esteh Indonesia quickly gained popularity on social media because of its simplicity. With strong integrity, the founder of Esteh Indonesia never gave up, and Haidhar Wurjanto was eventually able to promote Esteh Indonesia to join global markets.

However, Haidhar possesses more than just virality as an advantage. He started thinking about a sustainable business and an effort to adapt, building big dreams in the market until he was able to grow 20 outlets to 100 outlets, 250 outlets, and 800 outlets between 2021 and 2022.

Read more of his story at www.prestigeonline.com/id/40-under-40/haidhar-wurjanto/

In the academic field, IPB University is very proud of the role and achievements of Prof. Anuraga Jayanegara, one of the professors of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry at IPB University. His name has just been included in the “Top 2% Scientists in the World” or “2% Most Influential Researchers in the World in 2022” list. There are many criteria that must be met to be included in this ranking. Elsevier BV assesses more than 100 thousand researchers around the world for ranking. So, it really is something to be proud of when this alumnus makes it to the list. Learn more about this alumnus at https://www.detik.com/edu/edutainment/d-6373956/guru-besar-ipb-masuk-daftar-peneliti-paling-berpengaruh-di-dunia.

Putri Ernawati Abidin’s name is now recognized throughout the international community as a result of her production of high-quality sweet potato seeds. Likewise, the sweet potatoes produced are highly competitive, allowing them to enter the international market. The CEO of Reputed Agriculture for Development Stichting and Foundation’s activities and achievements can be found at: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/putri-ernawati-abidin and https://mediaindonesia.com/ekonomi/523118/penggunaan-bibit-unggul-ubi-jalar-agar-tembus-pasar-ekspor.

Dr. Arief Budiono’s brilliance as an academic and researcher is recognized for being able to explain the core of the science of human embryology by studying Koranic explanation. Read Arief Budiono’s outstanding profile and unique ideas on: https://www.alumniipbpedia.id/post/arief-boediono https://edukasi.sindonews.com/read/409710/211/pakar-ipb-university-kaji-penjelasan-alquran-tentang-ilmu-embriologi-manusia-1619453041?showpage=all.

The name Tri Mumpuni remains inspiring. She is the only Indonesian to be included in the list of the 22 most influential Muslim scientists in the world for 2021. She is well-known for her success in promoting community development through the provision of local energy. Her achievements and work can be found at: https://www.goodnewsfromindonesia.id/2021/12/20/menerjang-aral-demi-terangi-desa-dari-gelap-gulita-tri-mumpuni-saya-mendapat-kebahagiaan

Sunarso, an IPB University alumnus who specializes in the banking industry, has demonstrated his abilities in the face of difficult global economic situations. Sunarso has produced the finest performance as the Main Director of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BRI, making a net profit while in charge of BRI.

Sunarso has made many achievements as a leader in the banking industry. One of them is the prestigious Best CEO with Distinction award for the Company With More Than 1,000 Employees category at the Indonesia Best CEO 2022 event. Sunarso is recognized for his ability to guide BRI’s growth in the face of tremendous challenges such as technological disruption and the Covid-19 crisis. Check out Sunarso’s achievements and success in protecting the banking sector from the crisis: https://bisnis.tempo.co/read/1660561/bri-borong-penghargaan-sunarso-jadi-ceo-of-the-year also on https://www.inews.id/finance/bisnis/leadership-kuat-bawa-dirut-bri-sunarso-jadi-indonesia-best-ceo-2022 about his journey being named Best of the Best “Marketeer of the Year 2022”. ***

UMY develops floating rice field technology

Posted on by umy

The Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Community Service Institute (LPM UMY) conducted a joint rice harvest on Wednesday (04/01) at the Green House of the UMY Faculty of Agriculture. The rice harvest this time is different from any other rice harvest events, as in this event LPM UMY presented a demonstration of their floating rice field. Before harvesting rice on UMY’s agricultural land, LPM UMY had conducted community service in Muhuran Village, Kota Bangun District, Kutai Kartanegara and Minta Village, West Kutai, East Kalimantan with this technology.

According to the head of LPM UMY, Dr. Ir. Gatot Supangkat, MP, IPM., ASEAN. Eng. the people of Minta and Muhuran villages often experience crop failures so their paddy and rice production is not optimal. “When we came there, residents complained about crop failure and suboptimal rice production. Residents took advantage of the receding swamp area as rice planting land. However, this land often gets overflowed by the Mahakam river, and as a result the rice is submerged in water, which results in crop failure,” said Gatot.

Gatot also said that the agricultural sector is very vulnerable to climate change, especially rain intensity because it affects cropping patterns, planting time, production, and yield quality. “High and erratic rain intensity results in agricultural land experiencing flooding or waterlogging, therefore an innovative technology is needed to improve our agricultural system. One of the innovations in cultivation technology on flood- and swamp-prone land is by implementing the floating farming system that UMY has developed,” he continued.

He also claims that this technology is very suitable to be applied in the village of Muhuran and Minta village which have areas that are essentially swamps. “This technology is very suitable to be implemented in flood-prone or swamp-prone areas such as in Muhuran village and Minta village. This technology can improve production and income for farmers, because there is an increase in the economic value of the land. Of course, the floating rice farming system is a solution to overcome and optimize the use of flood-prone and swamp-prone land conditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rector of UMY Prof. Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto MP, IPM., ASEAN. Eng. explained that the technology that has been developed by UMY uses local resources. “The technology we have developed uses 100% local resources. This is also a distinct advantage for the preservation of the technology so that when the service team are finished with their task, the community is still empowered. The locals can source raw materials for making tools and fertilizers from local resources” he said.

Gunawan also revealed that this floating agricultural land utilizes peat land in swamps which often gets overflows from the Mahakam River. He emphasized that peatland has a myriad of benefits for agriculture, but can also have a negative impact on the climate. “What we use as agricultural land here is peat land. Peat is very useful for agriculture. However, if this land is not managed properly, it will have a negative impact for the environment and also the climate,” he explained.

Gunawan further explained that peatlands can store up to 30 percent of the world’s carbon so that it is not released into the atmosphere. If this carbon is released, it will result in climate change and natural disasters. This is also the reason one cannot cultivate peatlands haphazardly.

Gunawan also emphasized that this Project is a part of UMY’s effort of implementing one of the Sustainable Development Goals program to end hunger (Zero Hunger). “With the use of this land as a medium for planting rice, we hope that it will advance the Zero Hunger SDG program,” he continued. Furthermore, LPM UMY will carry out a similar service in the city of Pekalongan, which has the same problem with their rice harvest.

ITS launches initiative for MSME packaging and branding

Posted on by ITS Global Engagement

Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) has launched a new initiative called Packaging Design House to provide innovative and inventive solutions for the packaging branding needs of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The launch was held on Wednesday, 8 February 2023, at the ITS Research Center Building in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of the Department of Visual Communication Design. The event was attended by ITS’ Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Alumni and the Dean of the Faculty of Creative Design and Digital Business.

ITS’ Packaging Design House is an extension of ITS’ 1,000 Packaging Design Community Service Program that was launched last year. The head of ITS’ Packaging Design House, Mr. Sayatman, explains that the program aims to offer packaging design and branding development services for MSMEs to enhance the selling value of their products and support their growth in Indonesia. The services provided by ITS’ Packaging Design House include not only packaging design but also training programs and mentoring for MSMEs.

Additionally, the Packaging Design House plans to provide tools and machines that can produce packaging on an MSME production scale in the future. The objective of ITS’ Packaging Design House is to support MSMEs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools to create eye-catching and effective packaging designs that will help them stand out in a competitive market. With this initiative, ITS is committed to empowering MSMEs and contributing to the growth of Indonesia’s economy.