The Faculty of Biotechnology of Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW) Yogyakarta has signed an agreement with Bildung und Gesundheit für Indonesien e.V. (BUGI) Germany to support Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Program or Freedom to Learn. The signing was conducted online on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, by Drs. Kisworo, M.Sc. as the Dean of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Anindya Krishna Siddharta, M.Sc. as the founder of BUGI.
In his opening speech, Drs. Kisworo, M.Sc., pointed out that the partnership between these two institutions becomes relevant and important in response to government policy to develop the MBKM curriculum. “The activities aim to advance education and health-related aspects. We hope that this cooperation will sustain and give positive impacts to Biotechnology students of UKDW as well as our partner universities so that education in Indonesia can thrive, he said.
Meanwhile Dr. phil. Lucia Dwi Krisnawati, the Head of the Office of Partnerships and Public Relation, said that this cooperation is a breakthrough to improve performance in developing the MBKM curriculum, teaching-learning process, and preparing students to get off-campus learning experiences. “In this highly competitive environment, the only way to compete is through collaboration. Collaborations are not limited to cooperation between higher education institutions, but they can also involve non-profit organizations. Besides improving hard skills as well as soft skills, this cooperation is expected to instill Duta Wacana values in students,” she explained.
The scope of cooperation includes joint research through the SCHOKI program in Tolitoli, Central Sulawesi with the topics of marine life conservation, eco-tourism, organic waste management, organic agriculture, and other programs for students such as internship, service learning, and research thesis in Tolitoli. Furthermore, there is also joint research through the KAFEIN program in Semarang, Central Java. The topics include community health in the coastal area, organic waste and liquid waste management, and organic agriculture. The cooperation also accommodates expert and lecturer exchange for academic purposes.
The agenda was followed by a lecture about bioprospecting in Tolitoli Coast, delivered by Anindya Krishna Siddharta, M.Sc. from BUGI. Tolitoli has a rich marine biodiversity, such as algae, microalgae, seagrass, marine organism, and microorganism.
Founded in Hannover, Germany, BUGI (Bildung und Gesundheit für Indonesien) e.V is a non-profit organization that promotes collaboration on the development and improvement of the healthcare system and education in Indonesia. BUGI was first initiated in 2012 by several Indonesian students who were studying in Germany. It brings the concept of organizing projects that will support their home country, focusing on health and education fields.