Faculty of Biology UGM and Faculty of Science Universiti Tun Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Malaysia agree to strengthen their cooperation in academic and research.
This was stated during the visit of Faculty of Biology UGM to Faculty of Science UTAR which was held from November 28 until 30, 2017. The UGM delegation who were led by Dean, Dr. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr.Sc. was welcomed by Dean of Faculty of Science UTAR, Dr. Lim Tuck Meng, at UTAR campus, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. Faculty of Biology Vice Dean of Academic and Students Affairs, Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si., Ph.D., and Vice Dean of Research, Community Service, and Cooperation, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc., also made the visit.
Both parties discussed the cooperation plan which will be implemented in the future. Several points in the cooperation which have been agreed are Online lecture, Summer course, Student internship, Joint supervision, Publication of community service activity, International Seminar in UTAR, ICBS, Research Collaboration, Joint publication, and Visiting Lecturer.
Budi said the visit was done as a return visit where UTAR Malaysia had visited Faculty of Biology UGM at the beginning of 2017. At that time, UTAR Malaysia dispatched 27 students to study at Faculty of Biology UGM.
“This visit is a follow up of the cooperation in academic and research between Faculty of Biology UGM and Faculty of Science UTAR,” said Budi.
Budi said one of the cooperations which will be implemented in the near future is an online lecture for undergraduate students at Faculty of Biology UGM and undergraduate students at Faculty of Science UTAR that will be held in February 2018.
“This online lecture is held to face disruptive innovation and technology challenges that currently happen in industries and will happen soon in higher education sector in Indonesia,” he added.
Aside from online lecture, UTAR will also dispatch its students and lecturers to join Summer Course at Faculty of Biology UGM. According to the plan, UTAR will dispatch as many as 30 undergraduate students and 6 lecturers to join the Summer Course.
Besides discussing the enhancement of their cooperation, during the visit, Dean of Faculty of Biology UGM obtained an opportunity to give lecture towards the students at Faculty of Science UTAR. He delivered a presentation regarding the importance of melon commodity and challenges in melon cultivation, also implementation of molecular biology to address virus issue in melon cultivation. Budi also presented his findings, those are three genes of melon resistance against CMV, PRSV, and KGMMV viruses, which are Creb-2, Prv-p, and Krey.