In line with Universitas Gadjah Mada’s efforts towards a World Class University, Faculty of Forestry UGM received the 7th Academic Innovation and International Grant to organize Summer Course activities. This year, the Forestry Summer Course with the theme of “Managing Forest Landscapes & Forest Dependant-Communities to Bridge the Future: Learning Across Governance Regimes” was held on August 14-28, 2023 at Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada in hybrid mode.
The program officially started with an opening remark from the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Sigit Sunarta, on Monday, August 14, 2023. The Dean stated the reasoning behind the grand theme, considering that the planet’s future was closely related to the existence of forests and forestry as a support and driver of human life systems. Currently, advances in science and technology had change the needs of the earth’s population for food, energy, water, and other resources.These resources can only be provided if the forest ecosystems is maintained. Aside from having an educational exchange, the Dean wished that all participants could gain intercultural exposure and learn from each other, as the activity involved more than 30 participants from across the region, from Malaysia, Japan, Pakistan, and Cameroon, to Thailand, aside from Indonesia.
Aiming to optimize the learning process, Forestry Summer Course 2023 adapted various learning methods, from presentation and discussion by expert lecturers in related fields to field practices and quiz sessions with a total of 3 credits. The lecture sessions invited speakers from the most well-known institutes from partnerships such as University of British Columbia, University of Western Australia, University of Exeter, National University of Singapore, Kyushu University, Kasetsart University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, University Malaysia Sabah, and Universitas Gadjah Mada. This lecture also invited speakers from practitioners such as CO2 corporate, Sabah Forestry Department, National Park of Merapi Mountain, Ministry of Environment and Forestry then PT Freeport Indonesia.
Total of participants is 55 students. There are 38 onsite participants (24 foreign and 14 domestic participants), and 15 online participants (5 foreign and 12 domestic participants). The domestic participants come from Universitas Gadjah Mada, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Universitas Teknologi Sumbawa, Universitas Negeri Sebelas Maret, Universitas Diponegoro, Universitas Padjajaran, Universitas Hasanuddin, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang and Universitas Wahid Hasyim Semarang. The foreign participants come from Kyushu University, Seoul National University, University Putra Malaysia, Kasetsart University, Partido State University, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Institut National de Recherches en Genie Rural, Eaux et Forets (INRGREF), University Malaysia Sabah, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Chungnam National University (CNU), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Nagoya University, The University of Western Australia, and South East Technological University (SETU).
Participants were also invited to Merapi Mountain National Park and Wanagama I educational forest for forestry practice. A cultural trip to local sites such as Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko Temple, as well as Yogyakarta’s most notorious street: The Malioboro Street, was also conducted to increase participants’ cultural exposure.
Forestry Summer Course 2023 was made possible by numerous aids from partner institutes and other stakeholders. The Faculty of Forestry UGM would like to thank Universitas Gadjah Mada, Association of Forest Entrepreneurs (Asosiasi Pengusaha Hutan Indonesia), PT Vale Indonesia, PT Indotama Megah, PT Kideco, and PT Adaro for their support. Happy learning, discussing, and enjoying the hospitality of Yogyakarta.