YOGYAKARTA (KU) – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine UGM continues to improve itself. Entering the 64th anniversary, it continues to realize its vision to be the leading Veterinary Faculty at national and international levels by emphasizing professionalism, improving human welfare through veterinary field.
To support the vision and mission, the Faculty manages human resources, funds and facilities/infrastructure optimally. One is by increasing the number of teachers with doctoral degree. Up to the end of July 2010, the Faculty has at least 43 educators with doctoral degree or 52.4% of all 82 teaching staff. Of this total, 11 are professors. "Upgrading the qualifications of educators is the major concern of the faculty leadership. Various funding schemes to improve the quantity and quality of lecturer’s research are provided," the Dean, Prof. Dr. drh. Bambang Sumiarto, M.Sc., said in his speech to celebrate the 64th anniversary of the Faculty on Monday (20/9).
Further Bambang explained that efforts to improve educational quality can not be separated from the enhancement of the quality input of new students. Students as key stakeholders in fact get special attention right from the planning to the admission process. The number of enthusiasts into the Faculty in the last three years has increased, from 1215 people in year 2008 increased to 1502 people in 2009, and 2031 people in 2010. Meanwhile, the number of students accepted has also increased. This year, new students who entered through our talent search rose sharply, ie, as many as 53 people from 477 registrants, while the foreign students who enroll are 26. "The increase was primarily due to image building through proactive dissemination programs to various schools," he said.
The increase of enthusiasts, Bambang said, allows selecting the candidates with better quality input. Besides, student’s passing grade also improve from those in the previous year. He also reported that one supporting unit, namely Prof. Soeparwi Animal Hospital, since it opened officially on August 5, 2009 up to now has been carrying out services to 3976 animal patients and 450 inpatients. Patients consisted of 1645 dogs, 1768 cats, 279 rabbits, 90 birds, 4 goats, 4 cows, and other animals, such as hamsters, turtles, chickens, ferrets, monkeys, snakes, raccoons, squirrels, geckos and iguanas.
Meanwhile, the scientific speech delivered by Dr. drh. Hery Wijayanto, MP, reviewed the protection of endemic Indonesian germplasm through accurate identification of species using chromosome analysis technology. He conveyed that the identification of endemic fauna of Indonesia should be done by conservation as part of maintaining the genetic purity of a species. Although every animal species on the adjacent family generally shows similar amount and form of chromosomes, this pattern does not always apply to some families of animals. "Genetics conservation through the identification of chromosomes is just a few of many aspects that can be done for wildlife conservation, particularly Indonesian endemic wildlife," he explained.