The Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again welcomed foreign students for research internships. One of the participants is Cen Caihui, commonly known as Mia, a doctoral (PhD) student from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan. Mia is conducting her research internship at the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, UGM, supported by a scholarship from the Japan Science and Technology Agency. This program lasts for one month and is part of an international internship initiative. Mia chose UGM for her internship, partly due to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between TUAT and UGM, which facilitated the administrative process.
Mia began her internship by participating in a series of field trips as part of the Summer Course on Sustainable Tropical Agriculture 2024 (SC-STA 2024), organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, UGM, in August 2024. After that, she continued to learn molecular biology techniques such as PCR, qPCR, sequencing, and DNA transformation, guided by several lecturers from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology.
“This program has been highly beneficial, providing hands-on practice in DNA transformation, opportunities to meet many local students, and even experience Indonesian culture. I even attended a Javanese wedding in Yogyakarta. I’ve enjoyed every activity here and hope that my friends in Japan and China can also experience higher education in Indonesia,” said Mia, who has developed a fondness for nasi padang and soto ayam, two traditional Indonesian dishes.
Agung Dian Kharisma, S.Pd.Si., M.Biotech., Ph.D., one of the lecturers at the Department of Agricultural Microbiology and the program’s person in charge (PIC), hopes that this activity will enhance international collaboration and provide local students with the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with their international counterparts.
“The goal of this program is to strengthen international collaboration and share knowledge in the field of microbiology. We hope this experience will provide new insights for both international and local students, while also strengthening academic networks,” Agung said.
This research internship is part of UGM’s commitment to becoming a globally oriented university and supporting international capacity building. With the presence of foreign students, it is hoped that a positive synergy will be created between UGM and international educational institutions, further demonstrating the Faculty of Agriculture’s commitment to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Author: Desi Utami