Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya (FP UB) has recorded an achievement as the first institution in Indonesia to collaborate with Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC) located in Incheon, South Korea. This collaboration is a major step in supporting Universitas Brawijaya’s vision to become an internationally competitive university, especially by collaborating with the best partners in the world.
Four FP UB delegates consisting of Dr. Rina Rachmawati, S.P., M.P., M.Eng., Dr. Kurniawan Sigit Wicaksono, S.P., M.Sc., Dr. Irisa Trianti, S.P., M.P., M.Sc., and Dian Islami Prasetyaningrum, S.S., M.Pd. visited GUGC on September 18-20, 2024. The delegation of FP UB met directly with Prof. Han Taejun, President of GUGC, and Dr. Jonas De Saeger, PhD, a senior researcher at GUGC, to discuss various collaboration opportunities in the fields of education and research.
Through the warm and interactive discussion, the two institutions agreed to develop several forms of collaboration including student and staff mobility programs, joint research, and visiting professors. On that occasion, FP UB and GUGC also formulated a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as a legal basis for running various collaboration programs. This MOU is expected to open up great opportunities for UB students and academic staff to improve their competence and skills through interactions with international academics and researchers.
GUGC is known to focus on global challenges in the fields of environmental technology, food technology, and molecular biotechnology. Through its curriculum, GUGC prepares students to face complex health, food, and environmental issues. This collaboration with FP UB is expected to be the first step to create an internationally competitive academic environment, as well as produce research that is beneficial for the advancement of science and technology.
In addition to holding discussions on cooperation, FP UB delegation also held an international community service session through an event entitled “Ethnobotanical Use of Indigenous Medicinal Plants: Indonesian Herbal Medicine (Jamu) and Traditional Herbal Drink Wedang Uwuh.” In this activity, FP UB delegation introduced Indonesian culture through ethnobotanical knowledge about Wedang Uwuh, a traditional herbal drink from Central Java. This session received great enthusiasm from GUGC students, with interactive discussions that enriched cross-cultural understanding.
This collaboration with GUGC is expected to become the beginning of various broader collaborations between Universitas Brawijaya and other top world educational institutions, which directly support the development of UB’s competence and contribution in the global education and research arena. (TEAM/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
