One of the Microbiology students from the 2020 cohort had the opportunity to participate in the “Sakura Science Exchange Program”. Arya Dharma Sanjaya, commonly known as Arya, was granted a golden opportunity to join the Sakura Science Exchange Program at Osaka University from October 22nd to October 28th, 2023. According to Arya, this program was not just an ordinary journey but his first trip abroad. The International Center for Biotechnology at Osaka University served as the venue for this adventure. In this program, Arya not only explored the academic world but also interacted with fellow exchange students from various countries. One interesting aspect of Arya’s experience in Osaka was the variety of activities organized. Firstly, there was an orientation session about the campus environment, where Arya was introduced to the advanced learning facilities. The well-organized campus provided an insight into Japan’s excellent higher education system. read more

Students from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Fika Tri Andaini (2020) (Fika) and Nur Afni Febriyani (2020) (Afni), had the opportunity to participate in the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program in the form of Internship Learning Activities (MBKM-Internship) at the Coffee and Cocoa Research Center (PUSLITKOKA) from February 6, 2023, to June 16, 2023, precisely in their 5th semester. During their MBKM at PUSLITKOKA, Fika was placed in the Plant Disease and Pest Laboratory, while Afni was in the Plant Protection Laboratory. The MBKM-Internship program undertaken by Fika and Afni was equivalent to more than 20 credits in one semester. The courses equivalent for Fika and Afni had some differences, depending on the laboratory where they were placed. For Fika, there were 11 equivalent courses, including Microbial Development, Production, and Utilization; Soil Microbes; Pest and Disease Control; Development of Biological Agents; Identification of Pests and Diseases; Processing of Agricultural/Plantation Products; Quality Control and Quality Assurance of Agricultural/Plantation Products; Managerial Behavior; Field Work (KL); Seminar; and Leadership, while for Afni, there were also 11 equivalent courses, but there were 5 courses different from those taken by Fika, including Communication Skills; Processing of Agricultural/Plantation Land Fertility; Development, Production, and Utilization of Beneficial Microbes; Fundamentals of Coffee Biotechnology; and Fundamentals of Cocoa Tissue Culture. read more

Cokorda Keigoputra Pemayun (2021) (Keigo) and Chandra Rizqullah Triananda (2021) (Chandra) conducted their Field Work (KL) activities at PT MOYA Tangerang, a subsidiary of PT MOYA Indonesia, which is one of the largest private companies in clean water processing in Indonesia. The KL activities took place from December 27, 2023, to January 26, 2024. During the first week, the students were introduced to the company in general and learned simple water sample analysis methods. Keigo and Chandra used this time to understand the company’s situation and culture. In the following weeks, there were daily analysis activities, networking, processes, biweekly tasks, and data verification with PDAM as a cooperative partner. The third and fourth weeks were the busiest times during the KL implementation, due to water processing projects involving nanobubble and ozone equipment. They found the working atmosphere at PT MOYA Tangerang very comfortable because they were given the opportunity to participate directly in several projects, and the laboratory infrastructure facilities were excellent. read more

In the Judiciary Events of periods 1 and 2 in January 2024, the Department of Agricultural Microbiology graduated two students with the fastest study period, namely Roihana Ifa Kamalia (2020), commonly known as Ifa, with a study duration of 3 years 4 months 9 days, and Daniella Atteke Cantika Putri, commonly known as Cantika, with a study duration of 3 years 4 months 17 days. Ifa and Cantika started their microbiology studies during the COVID-19 pandemic with fully online lectures until the third semester. According to them, the strategy they applied to complete their studies on time was setting academic targets, especially for Field Work, Seminars, and Theses, along with strict time discipline. They always documented their academic targets, such as starting to draft fieldwork proposals during the 4th semester break so that they could conduct Field Work during the 5th-semester break in January 2023. They also conducted their fieldwork simultaneously with writing the final reports, allowing them to present their Field Work Seminar in March 2023. read more

On January 19, 2024, one of the professors from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Prof. Ir. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, M.Eng., Ph.D., was awarded the title of Osaka University Global Alumni Fellow. He had previously been appointed as a Collaborative Professor at the same university since 2015 until now to teach about traditional fermentation. The title of Osaka University Global Alumni Fellow was directly conferred by the Executive Vice President of Osaka University, Manabu Tanaka. This title is bestowed upon Osaka University alumni who are active in the field of international networking. During the award ceremony, Tanaka expressed his hope that Prof. Irfan would continue to serve as a bridge between Osaka University and Indonesia in the development of research and strengthen relations among Osaka University alumni active in Indonesia. read more

On January 23, 2024, the Department of Agricultural Microbiology held the January Judiciary Event for the 1st Period of the Academic Year of the Odd Semester 2023/2024 for seven students at the Soil and Environment Laboratory of the Agrotropica Learning Center (AGLC). The seven students, are Haedar Alfi Yahya (2018), Himatul Aliyah (2018), Alinda Ratna Rahmwati (2019), Muhammad Fadhil Muzaki (2019), Qurata A’yun Dyah Palupi (2019), Natalia Puspitasari (2019), and Roihana Ifa Kamalia (2020). Five students graduated with honors (Cumlaude) and two students graduated with distinction (Excellent). These seven students will participate in the graduation ceremony in February 2024 at Grha Sabha Pramana. One of the students who graduated with honors, Roihana Ifa Kamalia, completed her studies in the shortest time, which is 3 years, 4 months, and 9 days. Furthermore, on January 31, 2024, the Department of Agricultural Microbiology held another Judiciary Event for the 2nd period, graduating two students, Mutiara Diesta (2019) and Daniella Atteke Cantika Putri (2020). Both students also graduated with honors (Cumlaude), with Daniella Atteke Cantika Putri finishing in 3 years, 4 months, and 17 days. The graduating students conducted research on the utilization of microbes in plants and the environment to support sustainable agriculture. read more