YOGYAKARTA - About 25 thousand to 30 thousand species of plants have the potential to become source of food and even more than 20 thousand of biological resources have the potential as an ingredient in traditional and modern medicines. However, only 12 percent of plant and animal species in Indonesia have been explored as food sources. That is why Indonesia became the object of study of foreign researchers. Biology researchers from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Rosichon Ubaidillah, said that until the year of 2013, the trending research done by foreign researchers was commonly on a biology field. "I think that is because of the biodiversity in Indonesia," said Ubaidillah in Biology curriculum development workshop at the Faculty of Biology, Monday (23/11).
He mentioned, the second trending research area is ecology and primatology. The following places are zoology, anthropology, archeology, oceanography, architecture, vulcanology and paleoseismology. The foreign researchers are mostly from United States of America, Japan and Germany. "About 22 percent of them are Americans and 15 percent Japanese," he explained.
Ubaidillah said that there is very much biodiversity that should be explored, not only by foreign researchers but also Indonesia. According to Ubaidillah, Indonesia requires many more researchers in the field of biology. Therefore, the preparation of human resources quality of graduates in biology is the key to increase the added value of biological resources. "We need reliable human resources to conduct research of this grand biodiversity," he said.
He added the need for competent human resources in the field of biology is expected to open up more opportunities of pharmaceuticals, vaccine, food and energy so that biological resource-based industries can grow. "Qualified human resources rely on the universities where the curriculum is very dynamic and going alongside with the nation’s development.”
Vice Dean of Academic and Student Affairs of Faculty of Biology, Dr. Budi Setyadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., said that the Biology Faculty was conducting curriculum development in order to make the Faculty of Biology center of excellence in the conservation and utilization of tropical biological diversity resources. The new curriculum will provide more space for students in mastering communication skills, language skills, problem solving, professionalism, lifelong learning, interdisciplinary sciences enrichment and extra and co-curricular integrated into curriculum.
He added that the values instilled in students through the changes of curriculum are the consciousness of loving the environment, morale awareness, perseverance and modesty.
While the professor of Charles Darwin University, Dr. Penny Wurm, said that the students of Faculty of Biology should be assisted to master other disciplinary field of science so that they can work in various places. He mentioned at Darwin university students majoring in environmental science are directed to also learn about biodiversity, environmental science and culture, hydrology, and geomorphology. "All must be supported by competent teaching staff.”