UGM’s Faculty of Animal Science (Animal Science UGM) continues to attract international students seeking to deepen their academic and practical knowledge of animal husbandry.
One such student is Aaron Daniel from the University of Georgia, who participated in an internship program at UGM from Feb. 28 to Mar. 7, 2025.
Daniel shared that he gained many valuable experiences during the various internship activities, learning about multiple aspects of animal husbandry, agriculture, and health through a humanistic approach.
He also observed that education in Indonesia tends to be more practical compared to his home country, where the focus is more on analysis and data processing.
With these differences, he thoroughly enjoyed his internship experience.
“I learned many things here, from how animal husbandry is integrated with public health to a more hands-on approach in education,” Daniel shared recently at the faculty.
Daniel’s first experience interning during Ramadan was unique. He witnessed firsthand how academic and field activities continued with great enthusiasm despite many students and lecturers fasting.
At the start of the internship program, he admitted to experiencing some cultural shock, particularly in adjusting to Indonesia’s eating patterns and work culture.
However, he grew more accustomed to and enjoyed the process over time.
In his observations, Daniel noted that animal welfare in Indonesia is an interesting subject to explore. He pointed out that there is a difference in priorities in the approach to animal welfare between Indonesia and the United States.
“Here, animal welfare is more focused on natural care and maintenance methods, while in my country, we rely more on medical approaches such as injections and other pharmaceutical interventions,” he explained.
Daniel hopes to return to Animal Science UGM in the future to strengthen academic and research collaborations further.
He believes there are many opportunities for joint efforts between the fields of public health and animal husbandry.
“I wish to return and contribute further to projects that can strengthen the One Health approach,” he added.
The Dean of Animal Science UGM, Professor Budi Guntoro, warmly welcomed Daniel’s enthusiasm and expressed hope that this internship experience would open up more opportunities for collaboration between UGM and the University of Georgia and enrich the exchange of knowledge and culture between the two institutions.
Report by: Animal Science UGM/Satria
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya