2023

On Monday (21/8), the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) UGM, in collaboration with the Taiwan Center Indonesia, held a sharing session in the Auditorium on the 7th floor of FMIPA UGM. This event focused on sharing information about internship programs, further studies, and career opportunities in Taiwan. Featuring three alumni of FMIPA UGM who had experience participating in programs in Taiwan, the event was held in a hybrid format and attended by dozens of FMIPA UGM students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Sharing Session began at 2:00 PM WIB and opened with the national anthem of Indonesia, “Indonesia Raya.” Before diving into the main event, Prof. Drs. Roto, M.Eng., Ph.D., the Vice Dean of FMIPA UGM for Education, Teaching, and Student Affairs, delivered a welcoming speech. He emphasized that graduates must be capable of solving real-life problems in society and industry, and therefore, they need to acquire both hard and soft skills as preparation for the working world.

The event continued with an Info Session on scholarships and internships in Taiwan presented by the Managing Director of Taiwan Center Indonesia, Mr. Arif Misbahul MBM. He began by introducing Taiwan Center Indonesia and the various programs they offer. He also discussed the reasons for pursuing further studies or careers in Taiwan and shared information about the application periods for advanced studies at various universities in Taiwan.

The main event commenced with a sharing session by Kak Hendra, an alumnus of the S1 Chemistry program at FMIPA UGM. Kak Hendra shared his journey of pursuing further studies in Taiwan, including his diligent search for scholarship information and preparation of his CV and cover letter, which are common requirements for applications. The event continued with a sharing session by Kak Christian Antonia Lusiarta Putera, S.Si., an alumnus of the S1 Elins program at FMIPA UGM, who currently works as a Senior R&D Engineer at Logitech Taiwan. Kak Christian shared insights into the working life in Taiwan and mentioned the career days organized at various universities in Taiwan. The last session featured sharing by Kak Christophorus Galang Wijanarko, an alumnus of the S1 Elins program at FMIPA UGM, who recently completed the Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) internship. Kak Christo shared his internship experiences in Taiwan and life as an intern there.

Each session included a Q&A opportunity for participants to ask questions to the speakers. The Q&A sessions were interactive, with many participants showing interest and asking questions. The speakers enthusiastically provided answers to the participants’ inquiries. The event was concluded by the MC after the Q&A sessions ended.

As a concrete implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory of FMIPA UGM collaborates with the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) at the University of Mataram to conduct community service activities with the theme “Improving Scientific Writing Competence for Chemistry Teachers and Future Mapping Skills Competence for Students in High Schools/Vocational Schools in Mataram City.” The community service activities were carried out on August 17-19, 2023, with approximately 30 Chemistry subject teachers and around 25 students from SMA/MAN in Mataram City, specifically from the 11th and 12th grades.

The program coordinator for community service, Dr. Suherman, mentioned that the activities consisted of parallel workshops. For the class with Chemistry teachers as participants (in collaboration with the Chemistry Teachers’ Association of Mataram City), the focus was on environmental issues for chemistry learning (with Prof. Endang Tri Wahyuni as the speaker) and scientific paper writing techniques for teacher publications (with Prof. Mudasir as the speaker). Meanwhile, for the student class, there were two speakers: Dr. Suherman on the theme “mapping future skills” and “Prospects for graduates of science education” with Dr. Yunita Arian Sani Anwar (lecturer at FKIP Unram) as the speaker.

The response to the community service activities was exceptionally positive. In fact, one teacher expressed that there should be some form of follow-up and mentoring, especially in scientific writing, as it is crucial for the teaching profession. On the other hand, students from the 11th and 12th grades shared their opinions that preparing for the future is essential, and they gained new insights into the wide range of careers available to graduates in pure science and science education.

On Sunday (August 13), the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) UGM conducted internal monitoring and evaluation (Monev) for all teams from FMIPA UGM that successfully secured funding for the 2023 Student Creativity Program (PKM). The event aimed to review the progress of each team and also prepare for the university-level PKM team Monev. The internal Monev of FMIPA took place in the Turing Meeting Room of the Department of Computer Science and Electronics on the 4th floor of FMIPA UGM. There were 37 teams from FMIPA that secured funding for PKM, with details as follows: 14 teams for PKM-RE (Exact Research), 11 teams for PKM-KC (Creative Ideas), 1 team for PKM-KI (Innovative Works), 7 teams for PKM-K (Entrepreneurship), and 4 teams for PKM-PM (Community Service).

The event started at 08:00 AM WIB with the MC’s opening, followed by a speech from Prof. Dr. Eng. Kuwat Triyana, M.Si., the Dean of FMIPA UGM. In his speech, he provided motivation and encouragement to the PKM teams. The event continued with guidance from Mr. Suherman, Ph.D., representing the PKM Center UGM. He mentioned that the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is at the forefront of UGM in the PKM competition, so all teams must be diligent in working on their projects.

After the opening ceremony, all teams were divided into three rooms based on the type of PKM they were working on. PKM-RE teams were monitored by Mr. Suherman, Ph.D., PKM-KC and PKM-KI teams were in one room monitored by Dr. Eng. Fahrudin Nugroho, while PKM-K and PKM-PM teams were in one room monitored by Mr. Mokhammad Fajar Pradipta, M.Si. Each group was given 7-10 minutes to present the progress of their PKM project, and then the monitors evaluated and provided suggestions for the continuation of each group’s project.

Waste is a significant issue that needs to be addressed, especially in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, due to the temporary closure of the Piyungan Final Disposal Site (TPA). In order to address the issues in the community, particularly waste management, and to fulfill one of the Higher Education Tri Dharma, which is Community Service, the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, in collaboration with the Girirejo Village Government in Imogiri, Bantul, conducted training on waste management for the community through the Adopted Village program.

The Community Service Team from the Department of Chemistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, in collaboration with the Girirejo Village Government in Imogiri, Bantul, conducted training on household waste management. This is a concrete effort to address the pressing issue of waste management in the Yogyakarta region, especially due to the closure of the Piyungan Final Disposal Site (TPA).

The waste situation in Yogyakarta has become more complicated following the temporary closure of the Piyungan Final Disposal Site (TPA). Waste has been piling up, and concerted efforts are needed to reduce its negative impact. This is what prompted the Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with the Girirejo Village Government, to take action.

The Adopted Village program is part of the Higher Education Tri Dharma, which involves universities in making a tangible contribution to the community. The Department of Chemistry is committed to implementing this program and sharing knowledge about waste management with the community.

The team led by Dr. Winarto Haryadi M.Si and waste management activist Agus Hartono S.S. conducted this training program. Full support from the Girirejo Village Lurah, Mrs. Dwi Yuli Purwanti, SH, was the key to the success of the program’s implementation.

During the first meeting held on June 4, 2023, Gus Hart (Agus Hartono’s nickname) emphasized the importance of public awareness in reducing waste production. The most effective solution is to reduce waste production, especially plastics that are challenging to manage.

In the second meeting on July 23, 2023, Gus Hart explained waste separation. Waste can be categorized into 4 types, including sellable waste, compost, creative waste, and disposable waste. This helps the community understand the proper way to manage household waste.

The third meeting, held on August 12, 2023, focused on the practice of waste separation. Participants enthusiastically joined this event and began implementing waste separation in their households. The difficulty in finding waste that truly needed disposal indicated that much of the waste still had utility value.

The Community Service Team from the Department of Chemistry hopes that waste management can be carried out sustainably by the community, especially in the Girirejo Village, Imogiri, Bantul. Awareness of the importance of waste management should start within the family environment, and with collective support, the waste issue in Yogyakarta can be addressed (RNC).