As many as 61 UGM graduate students since Wednesday (9/2) until the next day participated in the Socialization of Research Grant and Proposal Writing Training Based on the Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD), held in KPTU room, Faculty of Biology. This event was organized by the I-MHERE program (Indonesia Managing Higher Education for Relevancy & Efficiency), Faculty of Biology. Present as speakers were, among others, Executive Director of UGM I-MHERE, Dr. Ir. Cahyono Agus Dwi Koranto, M.Agr.Sc., and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Dr. Retno Peni Sancayaningsih, M.Sc.
According to Dr. Ir. Cahyono Agus Dwi Koranto, M.Agr.Sc., the activity is part of activities to achieve the UGM target to become a world-class research university based on EfSD. The research generated through the I-MHERE proposal is a form of combination between the concept of education, research, and community service. "The series of activities is held to support the UGM target to become a world-class research university," said Agus.
He hoped UGM graduate students will be able to take advantage of the grants provided by the Directorate of Higher Education to create a research proposal. In addition, results of the researches are expected to be published, both nationally and internationally. "Don’t let the research results accumulated in the library, instead utilize them for public interest and publicize them, both in national and international scale," the lecturer of the Faculty of Forestry added.
According to Cahyono, the number of research results proposals from the UGM so far has achieved the target. The indicators can be seen from the number of international publications up until the funds are absorbed. Especially for the I-MHERE, UGM has received IDR 30 billion grant from the Higher Education and IDR 4.5 billion allowance funds from the university with a term of three years starting from 2009. "UGM through the Faculty of Pharmacy, Biology, and Forestry in 2009 has won the I-MHERE Higher Education grant in a three years term," said Agus.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Dean of the UGM Faculty of Biology said the research proposal produced by the Faculty of Biology has been quite successful. She cited that the writing of the research is not solely focused on the development of orchid, but can be extended further. "Biology has been focusing on the development of orchid plants that in some areas is almost extinct, but in principle we don’t just focus on that, but we could be extend it further," said Peni.
For this I-MHERE program, UGM Faculty of Biology also cooperates with some universities, such as Cendrawasih University, Hasanuddin University, and University of Lambung Mangkurat.