Faculty of Geography of UGM continues to intensify research collaboration with various universities from different countries sustainably to achieve the international level research faculty. One form of the international research collaboration realization is the organizing of the International Collaborative Research workshop on Monday (26/7) and followed by at least five foreign universities.
According to the Head of International Cooperation Unit of the Faculty of Geography, Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, M.Sc., the five foreign universities are Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne (France), University of the Philippines Diliman (Philippines), University of Deusto in Bilbao (Spain), Cologne University of Applied Science (Germany) and Leopold Franzen Universität (Austria).
"The workshop involving foreign universities aims to accommodate the dissemination of research topics for Master’s and Doctoral students from the five universities," said Danang on Tuesday (27/7). Danang added that various research themes are presented by 8 Master and Doctorate students in the workshop primarily related to the topic of disaster, climate change and natural resource management.
One of S2 students from Spain, for example, presented the research theme on Improving Humanitarian Assistance: Facing Problems through Evaluation Case: The Impact of Tsunami Response on Local Capacities, which focuses on the role of NGOs in the tsunami emergency response. "The Spanish student is under guidance from Dr. Djati Mardiatno and he is currently an apprentice at the Faculty of Geography through the Erasmus program," he said. In addition, two French students in S3 program are currently researching on the evaluation of disaster evacuation route of Mount Merapi and the vulnerability of communities around Mount Merapi. The two French students are under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Franck Lavigne, facilitated by the European Union consortium.
Meanwhile, according to Danang, students of the Southeast Asian countries also presented their researches. A Master’s student from the University of the Philippines Diliman is examining the role of local wisdom of the community around Mount Merapi in disaster management. The students are facilitated by the Asian Foundation, which provides scholarships for young researchers who want to do research in Southeast Asia countries. "There is a study evaluating the evacuation route of Mount Merapi. Nonetheless, there is also thestudy examining the role of community’s local wisdom," he said.
Danang added that apart from conducting guidance to foreign students in S1, S2 and S3 programs, organizing seminars/workshop with partner universities, Faculty of Geography is also serious in the development of international cooperation networks, implemented in joint-researches with various universities in Europe.