YOGYAKARTA-Implementation of sustainable education that has been developed by Faculty of Biology receives appreciation from several foreign universities. To increase the knowledge and experience about the benefits of Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD) from foreign universities, for three days from 14-16 July 2011 managers of I-MHERE (Indonesia Managing Higher Education for Relevancy & Efficiency) program Faculty of Biology held an international workshop on the implementation of EfSD. The workshop was opened by Senior Vice Rector of Academic, Research, and Community Service, Prof. Dr. Retno Sunarminingsih, Apt., M.Sc.
PIC 3.1.1 of I-MHERE Program of Faculty of Biology, Slamet Widiyanto, S. Si, M. Si, said that workshop of EfSD implementation is a series of I-MHERE program of the Faculty. The two-day workshop will be held at Faculty of Biology, while in the last day the participants will be invited to visit Kemadang Village in Tanjungsari Sub-district, Gunung Kidul regency, which has been made a guided village of Faculty of Biology. "There is a workshop session at Faculty of Biology; in the last day we will invite the workshop participants to visit Kemadang Village in Gunung Kidul," Slamet said on the sidelines of the workshop on Thursday (14/7).
Slamet mentioned that the workshop is attended by lecturers from Faculty of Biology, several representatives of other Faculties, students of S-2 and S-3 of the Faculty, as well as local government officials of Sleman and Gunung Kidul. The workshop that presents some speakers from abroad is expected to make a module about implementation of EfSD of the respective countries. "Well, the module is expected to contain a variety of experiences in implementing EfSD from the countries," he said. On that occasion, Slamet explained that EfSD development program, particularly in Kemadang Village, still takes into account the three pillars, namely social, environmental, and economic.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of I-MHERE UGM, Dr. Ir. Agus Dwi Cahyono Koranto, M. Agr. Sc., in the opening of the event explained that the workshop is to reach the target of UGM to become a world-class research university based on EfSD. As it is known, the research generated through the I-MHERE proposal is a form of a concept of education, research, and community service. "The series of activities is to support the achievement of UGM as a world-class research university," Cahyono said.
In the same place, Prof. Dr. Retno Sunarminingsih, Apt., M.Sc., emphasized the importance of implementation of EfSD program. UGM has already applied it in the community through Student Field Practice KKN-PPM program since many years ago. "We have pioneered and developed real form of EfSD program at UGM through KKN PPM program," Retno said.
The workshop was attended by several experts from abroad, among others, Prof. Kimio Uno, Ph.D. (Chubu University Japan), Prof. Seoung Ju Moon, Ph.D. (Geonsang National University, Korea), and Dr. Asyirah Abdul Rahim (University Sains Malaysia). In that event, it was also conducted a video conference with Prof. Magdalena Swanstrom (Chalmers University of Sweden).