Yogyakarta, August 20 — The Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has established a strategic collaboration with the Gadingmangu EcoPesantren through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Education, Training, Community Service, and Human Resource Development in Environmental Management.
This agreement represents a shared commitment to strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions and pesantren-based educational organizations to foster community awareness and capacity in maintaining environmental sustainability.
Dean of the Faculty of Forestry UGM, Ir. Sigit Sunarta, S.Hut., M.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., IPU., expressed in his remarks that this partnership is expected to broaden the horizons of environmental education, particularly through the integration of scientific knowledge and the religious values embodied by pesantren.“Pesantren are centers for building the noble character of the younger generation. Through this collaboration, we aim to develop educational, training, and community service programs that focus on enhancing human resource quality in environmental management,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Gadingmangu EcoPesantren, Nurul Firdaus, S.Pd., M.M., emphasized that the EcoPesantren concept, which has been implemented for years, will be further strengthened through synergy with academics and practitioners from UGM’s Faculty of Forestry.“We believe this collaboration will bring tangible benefits to our students, the surrounding community, and the environment that we manage together,” he said.
The scope of this MoU includes environmental education and training activities, joint research, community service programs, and the strengthening of human resource capacity in sustainable natural resource management. It also covers the development of curricula and learning materials on environmental management for students and teachers (ustadz and ustadzah) at the Gadingmangu Pesantren, as well as opportunities for UGM Forestry students to conduct internships, research, or field practice (PKL) at the pesantren.
Through this collaboration, the Faculty of Forestry UGM and Gadingmangu EcoPesantren aim to become pioneers in developing a partnership model between academics and pesantren communities to create a society that is more environmentally conscious, adaptive, and empowered in preserving environmental sustainability.
Writer: Dian
Documentation & Editor: Faculty of Forestry Public Relations