Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has secured a grant from the Sinergi Kreasi Masyarakat dan Akademisi untuk Sains Teknologi Nusantara (Semesta) Program, initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
At the contract signing ceremony for Semesta recipients held at Graha Diktisaintek on Friday (Sep. 12), Director General of Science and Technology, Ahmad Najib Burhani, revealed that the program aims to ground research outcomes so that their benefits are felt widely by society.
One of its schemes is Resona Saintek, which serves as a platform for public science communication.
“Today’s contract signing is not just a formality, but a symbolic start of a shared journey to ensure science is present, understood, and brings real benefit to the wider community,” he said.
In line with this, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Professor Fauzan, underscored that the success of the Semesta program depends not only on funding but also on disciplined and transparent governance.
He stated that universities must ensure every activity is accountable while delivering an impact directly felt by the community.
“Budget is not just a number, but an instrument that determines whether research truly becomes part of everyday life for the people,” he remarked.
Chair of the UGM Team, Hestining Kurniastuti, also known as Nia, expressed that securing the Semesta grant is the result of the team’s collective work and full support from UGM’s academic community. Nia said the campaign is not only about communication, but about building public trust in science and university research.
Nia emphasized that public communication is the heart of every effort to disseminate research so that it can be understood and accepted broadly. For her, the success of the program heavily depends on the university’s ability to bridge academic language with real-world needs.
“Communication is not simply delivering messages, but weaving trust,” Nia said.
In its proposal, UGM put forward the program “Riset Kuat, Pangan Hebat” (Strong Research for Food Security), a strategic campaign connecting university research with communities, government, and business.
The program arises from the urgency of national food security, faced with challenges such as climate change, population growth, and land constraints.
Through multidisciplinary research, UGM presents tangible solutions, ranging from the superior rice variety Gamagora, premium rice Presokazi, soil conditioner Potassium Humate, to social studies of farmer welfare.
“In this context, university research such as that conducted by UGM plays an essential role in providing real solutions to the challenges of food security,” added Nia.
The program is also designed with a participative communication strategy, including the holding of harvest festivals, rembug sesarengan (joint deliberation), rerasan pangan (food negotiations), as well as publishing infographics, educational videos, and podcasts.
UGM emphasizes a collaborative approach that involves researchers, farmers, policymakers, the media, and the general public. All program activities will have their impacts measured using the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework (IEF) to ensure UGM’s food research does not remain in the laboratory, but reaches society.
“This program is expected to become a space for collaboration among academics, government, business, media, and the public, opening opportunities for research to move from the laboratory into the community,” Nia concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Documentation: Hestining Kurniastuti