Twelve students from Universitas Gadjah Mada completed the Six University Initiative Japan-Indonesia—Service Learning Program (SUIJI-SLP), which was held from Feb. 21 to Mar. 1 in Selopamioro Village, Imogiri District, Bantul Regency.
In the program, UGM students collaborated with five students from Ehime University and one from Kochi University under the guidance of Dr. Kazuya Masuda, an associate professor at Kochi University, and Dr. Masaki Oda, an assistant professor at Kochi University.
The program concluded with a presentation of observations and disaster mitigation recommendations that could be implemented in the Selopamioro area.
The Dean of the UGM Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM), Professor Eni Harmayani, appreciated the participants’ enthusiasm.
She believed that the participants’ hard work, enthusiasm, and commitment embodied the spirit of SUIJI between Indonesia and Japan through academic and cultural exchanges.
“As you return to your universities, let’s continue to foster this collaboration and implement the solutions identified in Selopamioro in your own regions,” she said on Monday (Mar. 10).
During the presentation, the SUIJI team identified that Selopamioro’s steep topography makes it highly susceptible to landslides and earthquakes.
Data shows that there have been 2,223 earthquake reports in Bantul Regency in the past five years and 24 landslide incidents in Selopamioro.
However, community-level mitigation efforts remain limited, as there is a lack of disaster awareness education and insufficient access to hazard maps.
As a follow-up, the SUIJI team conducted various educational programs, including disaster mitigation classes in elementary schools. These classes were delivered through presentations, educational posters, interactive games, and simulations of identifying dangerous areas around the school.
They also provided material on preventive measures that local residents could take to improve disaster preparedness.
Additionally, the SUIJI team compared disaster mitigation systems in Indonesia and Japan. In Japan, hazard maps are accessible in various places, such as schools and government offices, and earthquake simulations are routinely carried out using specialized vehicles provided by the government.
This is an area that still needs improvement in Indonesia.
Professor Puji Astuti, Director of Partnerships and Global Relations at UGM, emphasized the importance of the program’s continuity as it offers students international experience while building their academic and professional skills.
“I believe the experience gained by all participants in this program will be useful during their studies and even after graduation,” she said.
During the SUIJI program, participants were involved in various community service and cultural exchange activities, as well as providing disaster mitigation education.
They participated in activities such as learning to play gamelan, making eco-prints, attending traditional feasts (sadranan), wearing traditional clothing, making batiks, practicing Gejog Lesung, exploring Cerme Cave, and participating in the Japan Expo and Tour de Yogyakarta.
Report by: FTP UGM/Luqlun
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya