The Faculty of Law at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FH UGM) plans to incorporate the blue economy curriculum and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements into its educational framework. Issues surrounding maritime law, sustainable development in the marine sector, and artificial intelligence are crucial topics to include in legal education.
These discussions emerged during a workshop titled ‘Integrating Blue Curriculum for Law Education’, which was held at FH UGM as part of its 79th-anniversary celebration.
The workshop featured speakers such as Dr. Raquel Lorenz Costa from the Ocean Literacy and Blue School Initiative at UNESCO Lisbon University and Dr. Hatma Suryatmojo from UGM’s Directorate of Academic Studies and Innovation.
In her presentation, Dr. Costa explained that the blue curriculum is a set of learning tools developed by UNESCO, mainly through its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), in collaboration with the education sector.
The initiative aims to integrate marine issues into educational curricula, primarily targeting elementary and secondary levels.
Although initially focused on mandatory education, the blue curriculum, including law, is considered adaptable for higher education.
“This development of the blue curriculum is both an opportunity and a challenge for FH UGM to collaborate with UNESCO in integrating marine issues into the legal curriculum, setting an example for the world,” Dr. Costa said in a statement to reporters on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.
She highlighted the importance of ocean literacy in various aspects of life, especially in Indonesia.
With more than 17,000 islands and the second-largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, Indonesia is significantly responsible for maintaining ocean sustainability.
“The ocean is not just a natural beauty but a life-sustaining force. The loss of marine ecosystems will directly impact the food chain, fisheries industry, and coastal communities,” she added.
Dr. Costa also outlined several common challenges faced by different countries, such as the lack of teacher training, overcrowded curricula, and low awareness of marine issues.
Therefore, a gradual strategy is needed, including mapping national priorities, developing a theory of change, and trialing and evaluating the curriculum before full-scale implementation.
She provided essential documents for study, expressing hope that FH UGM would successfully integrate the blue curriculum by learning from these resources.
As part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science, the integration of the Blue Curriculum in legal education is expected to enhance awareness and encourage contributions from academics and students to support global ocean sustainability.
Meanwhile, Dr. Suryoatmojo discussed the development of UGM’s Kanal Pengetahuan (Knowledge Channel) and Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
The macro credential system is seen as a solution to curriculum limitations and the growing demand for specific competencies among students and the general public.
Micro-credentials allow participants to acquire specific skills flexibly without enrolling in formal degree programs.
“Although curricula can be changed, their flexibility is limited. Many important specific competencies are hard to include due to credit hour constraints. Micro-credentials offer an alternative,” he explained.
UGM’s micro-credential implementation must adhere to self-paced learning principles. The material must be accessible independently, learning videos must be no longer than 10 minutes, and an evaluation system must be implemented to allow participants to assess their understanding.
Regular courses can also be repackaged into micro credential modules to meet user needs better.
By developing micro-credentials, UGM broadens educational access and enhances its global competitiveness in knowledge dissemination and online learning innovation.
“I fully support the FH UGM’s increased use of MOOCs, as it can complement new subtopics or additional materials, such as the blue economy discussed during the seminar series,” he added.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang