Digital Extension Society for Agriculture Application Universitas Gadjah Mada (Desa Apps UGM) has participated in ICTforAg 2024 annual convening where agrifood system stakeholders, technology experts, and enthusiasts gather to share knowledge, find solutions, and form partnerships to address challenges in agrifood systems across low and middle-income countries. The event was held on 28^th-30^th May 2024 simultanously in 5 countries: New Delhi (India), Nairobi (Kenya), Texcoco (Mexico), Philippines; and Washington DC (USA). It also took place online via Zoom. This becomes a great opportunity to introduce Desa Apps UGM to the global society, specifically concering about digital agriculture that has been burgeoning issues within the last decade.

This year, the annual convening was attended by 314 participants from Asia and Pacific, US, Europe, and Africa with 103 sessions in total. In this occasion, Desa Apps UGM shared about its experience in managing programs related to digital agriculture and developing platform for digital extension. The topic of presentation was “How UGM’s Digital Extension Society for Agriculture Developed A Successful Digital Extension Platform ‘Lentera DESA’ To Smallholder Farmers In Indonesia” delivered by Nurul Trya Wulandari as the Operations Manager of Desa Apps UGM and Anthony Harm Spoor as the expert partner since 2021.

Desa Apps UGM developed an Android-based mobile app ‘Desa Apps’ in 2017 (see: https://desa-apps.ugm.ac.id/). Then, in 2021 with support from PUM (Programma Uitzending Managers) Netherlands Senior Experts and PT. Wijaya Karya, it developed a website-based platform ‘Lentera DESA’ that provides features for online training in agriculture-related topics, including fisheries and animal husbandry (see: https://lenteradesa.id/). Moreover, Desa Apps UGM uses social media to disseminate information and knowledge about research and innovation in agriculture. It aims to help farmers and extension workers grab information in a more efficient way regardless time and geographical boundaries through internet and their devices. Aside from those, it also develops ‘Bincang Desa’ to facilitate interactive discussions among farmers, experts, and extension workers.

Nurul and Harm also talked about Desa Apps UGM’s challenges and strategies within the last 4 years to develop. Partnerships, experts’ support from the university, and using data-generated decisions were keys to keep sustain. Data becomes pivotal, so this organisation uses all information from its platform’s database, social media’s data insight, and other supporting data. In this presentation, they also shared about how Desa Apps UGM introduced a blended learning for agricultural extension combining conventional or field visit and online methods using ‘Lentera DESA’. It was found that field facilitators were key to help farmers adopt digital technology. For further information, the full recorded presentation is accessible via this link: http://ugm.id/ICTforAgDesaAppsUGM.

This collaboration is also a concrete manifestation of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s commitment to achieve SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Reported by: Nurul Trya W.

Delegasi Kementerian Pertanian, Air, dan Reformasi Lahan Namibia mengunjungi Fakultas Pertanian UGM pada Rabu, 22 Mei 2024. Delegasi yang terdiri dari executive director, Wakil Direktur Perdagangan dan Pembangunan Pertanian, Kepala Dokter Hewan Direktorat Pelayanan Kedokteran Hewan, dan jajaran lainnya diterima secara langsung oleh Wakil Dekan Bidang Keuangan, Aset, dan SDM Fakultas Pertanian UGM, Dr. R.A. Siti Ari Budhiyanti, S.T.P., M.P., di Venture Lab Gedung AGLC.

“Kami menyambut baik kunjungan delegasi Namibia untuk bersama-sama mendiskusikan program ketahanan pangan di Namibia dan Indonesia. UGM sendiri telah memiliki sejarah kerja sama dengan Namibia sejak tahun 2009, sehingga kunjungan hari ini harapannya bisa memperpanjang kolaborasi kita,” ujar wakil dekan yang kerap disapa Sita.

Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata selaku executive director Kementerian Pertanian, Air, dan Reformasi Lahan Namibia menyampaikan bahwa kedatangannya bersama rekan-rekan lain bermaksud untuk membangun relasi dan kerja sama dengan Fakultas Pertanian UGM.

“Kami sangat tertarik untuk bekerja sama dengan Fakultas Pertanian UGM, utamanya dalam hal mengembangkan produksi benih tanaman pangan,” ujarnya.

Kunjungan yang disertai dengan diskusi tersebut dihadiri pula oleh para Ketua dan Sekretaris Departemen, serta Kepala Unit di wilayah Fakultas Pertanian, Salah satunya adalah Prof. Taryono, Guru Besar di Departemen Budidaya Pertanian yang menjelaskan mengenai pentingnya pemanfaatan mikroba dalam meningkatkan produktivitas tanaman pangan.

Setelah agenda diskusi, delegasi Namibia didampingi para dosen melakukan kunjungan ke laboratorium yang ada di Fakultas Pertanian UGM, terutama laboratoium pemuliaan tanaman dan teknologi perbenihan. Kunjungan laboratorium ini menyoroti dasar kolaborasi berkelanjutan dalam pelaksanaan pengajaran dan penelitian. Kemudian, delegasi Namibia melanjutkan kunjungannya ke Pusat Inovasi Agroteknologi (PIAT) UGM dan diperkenalkan dengan fasilitas-fasilitas yang ada, salah satunya mesin pengering silo padi yang memiliki peran penting dalam pemrosesan pasca panen.

Kunjungan ini menunjukkan upaya Fakultas Pertanian UGM bersama Namibia untuk mencapai tujuan SDG 2: Tanpa Kelaparan, SDG 12: Konsumsi dan produksi yang bertanggung jawab, dan SDG 17: Kemitraan untuk Mencapai Tujuan.

Penulis: Hanita Athasari Zain

Editor: Desi Utami

Foto: Media Faperta UGM

Micro-credentials (MC) are gaining popularity and competing more with traditional higher education programs, following swift changes in the global job market. To ensure the quality micro-credentials, Institutions should strive to grow and develop their programs to provide more online learning access for the wider community. To achieve this aim, Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie, S.P., M.Si., Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Agriculture UGM along with UGM Vice Rector for Education and Learning UGM, Dean of Faculty of Animal Sciences, Head of Sub-Directorate Academic Studies, and Manager of UGM online attended a Workshop on Building a Common Understanding and Set of Policies for Micro-credentials in Los Banos, Philippine. The workshop was hosted by The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 6-7 May 2024. 

UGM as a core member of SEARCA and University Consortium (UC) took a part as the leader in the Postgraduate Micro-credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) together with Kasetsart University, Thailand. The workshop was attended by the delegations from UGM, Institut Pertanian Bogor and Universitas Brawijaya (Indonesia), University of the Philippines Los Banos, Central Luzon State University, and Visayas State University (Philippine), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Malaysia), Maejo University and Kasetsart University (Thailand). This project aimed to discuss and reach an agreement on how to harmonize the existing university policies in the development and delivery of micro-credentials and was funded by the European Commission ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program. 

Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director and Head of the UC Secretariat, welcomed all the participations and highlighted the important role of policies to guarantee quality higher education. 

Faculty of Agriculture UGM was actively participating in the workshop as our programs is closely related to the field of Food Security and Climate Change (FSCC), in addition, we are also the members of UC. Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie, S.P., M.Si, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of Faculty of Agriculture highlighted that the policies in MC among the UC members is linked to our policies including its implementation in our graduate programs. Dyah added that preparation of Micro-credentials for postgraduates will open up the opportunities for our postgraduate students to take international courses and competencies. “The offered module is compatible with our master’s Study Program which can be implemented in the master’s Program curriculum” said Dyah. 

In addition, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, SS, M.Hum., DEA, UGM Vice Rector for Education and Learning, stated that UGM’s involvement in the PMC FSCC module development is part of implementation of our commitment to provide opportunity for community to access the development of science and technology through learning platforms on ugmonline.id channel. 

UGM as the leader of PMC FSCC module development also delivered a presentation on the survey findings conducted among the project participants during the workshop. The purpose of the survey was to understand about the rules and regulations pertaining to MC in each university. Through this discussion session, a draft report on harmonizing university policies to develop micro-credentials was created. 

The development of the PMC FSCC module will be legitimate contributions from UGM in the implementation of sustainable development goals, especially in SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. 

Author : Desi Utami

Fakultas Pertanian UGM meresmikan program vokasional yang dikemas dalam bentuk studi Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) bersama Markplus Corp (MCorp), perusahaan pionir bidang marketing di Indonesia. Program DBA dengan peminatan Agribusiness Entrepreneurial Marketing (AEM) tersebut menjadi program DBA pertama di Indonesia dan telah diresmikan pada perayaan ulang tahun ke-34 MCorp pada Rabu, 1 Mei 2024 bertempat di Gedung AGLC, Fakultas Pertanian UGM.

Perayaan ulang tahun ke-34 MCorp mengusung tema ”Unstoppable”. Menurut Hermawan Kertajaya, founder dan chairman MCorp, peresmian program DBA di Fakultas Pertanian UGM menjadi wujud nyata tema tersebut.

“DBA pertama di Indonesia ini kita rencanakan sebagai bentuk mendorong Indonesia untuk lebih maju dengan orang-orang yang profesional di dalamnya. Hal ini menjadi wujud bagaimana Indonesia adalah negara yang tak terhentikan (Unstoppable) sesuai tema tahun ini,” ujar Hermawan.

Selain itu, Dekan Fakultas Pertanian UGM, Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D. menegaskan, program DBA AEM akan berperan untuk melahirkan SDM profesional di bidang agribisnis dengan mempelajari pengelolaan risiko dan pasar.

“Indonesia dihadapkan dengan tantangan menaikkan produksi pangan hingga 70% agar di tahun 2050 mendatang tidak terjadi kelaparan. Pertanian di Indonesia sendiri merupakan sektor bisnis yang menjanjikan, tetapi risikonya pun besar, sehingga adanya program DBA AEM ini adalah upaya untuk menjawab tantangan tersebut,” jelas Dekan.

Peresmian program DBA AEM juga menandai resminya Fakultas Pertanian UGM sebagai kantor cabang MCorp di Yogyakarta yang diluncurkan oleh Hermawan Kertajaya dan Wakil Rektor Bidang Perencanaan, Aset, dan Sistem Informasi UGM, Arief Setiawan Budi Nugroho, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D. Arief menyampaikan, kerja sama Fakultas Pertanian UGM bersama MCorp diharapkan mampu melahirkan SDM di bidang agribisnis yang mampu menjawab tantangan di era mendatang dengan kreativitas dan daya pikir inovatif.

Tak berhenti dengan MCorp saja, Fakultas Pertanian UGM memperluas jaringan dengan Asia Marketing Federation (AMF) dan Asia Committee for Small Business (ACSB) untuk memperkuat jalannya program DBA AEM. Kerja sama tersebut ditandai dengan penandatanganan Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) oleh Dekan Fakultas Pertanian UGM, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Editor Bangladesh Brand Forum sebagai perwakilan President of AMF, dan President of ACSB.

Berbagai bentuk kerja sama ini membuktikan upaya kuat dari Fakultas Pertanian UGM dalam mencapai tujuan SDGs, seperti tujuan SDG 1: Tanpa Kemiskinan, SDG 2: Tanpa Kelaparan, SDG 4: Pendidikan Berkualitas, dan SDG 17: Kemitraan untuk Mencapai Tujuan.

Penulis: Hanita Athasari Zain

Foto: Media Faperta UGM