UGM Faculty of Agriculture has established a collaboration with Gifu University, Japan, that is put into the founding of the “International Consortium of Universities in South and Southeast Asia Region for the Doctoral Education on the Agricultural Science and Biotechnology (IC-U12)", July 2013.
One coordinator of the consortium, Prof. Dr. Ir. Siti Subandiyah, M.Agr.Sc., the collaboration that was initiated back in August 2012 was marked with an MoU signing between both parties that include collaborations in student and lecturer exchanges.
Siti added after the MoU in the university level was signed, collaborations continued between Dean of the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Prof. Fumiaki Suzuki, and Dean of Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Dr. Jamhari, to participate in the "Consortium of the Doctoral programs in Agricultural Science and Biotechnology in South Asian Area”.
Members of the consortium are Gifu University, University of Dhaka, Asam University, Indian Institute of Guwahati, Universitas Andalas, Universitas Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Shizuoka University, Kasetsart University, Chulalongkorn University, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
There will be round table discussions at Gifu University from 4-6 August 2014. UGM will be represented by Prof. Siti Subandiyah and Dr. Rarastoeti Pratiwi, Secretary at Biotechnology study programme UGM.
It is expected that following the consortium, lecturers and students of Agriculture and Biotechnology at doctoral level can make use of the opportunity to extend collaborations and use education and research facilities.
Siti explained that a new regulation issued by Higher Learning Directorate asks doctoral graduates to publish their dissertation in international journals. The consortium will be able to smooth this process through collaborations for doctoral students in Indonesia.