After successfully achieving ASIIN accreditation this year, the Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science (FPP) of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) has further strengthened its position in the international arena by organizing the Summer Course Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science (SCFAAS) 2024. The program, which began on October 16, 2024, is being held in the Hall of the Joint Lecture Building (GKB) 4, 4th floor, and is attended by students from various countries.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Vice Rector IV for Research, Community Service, and Cooperation, Mr. Muhamad Salis Yuniardi, M.Psi, Ph.D. In his remarks, he expressed pride in the cooperation and collaboration that made this program possible. “We need to encourage sustainable development, especially through collaboration between universities in the Southeast Asian region,” he stated. Dr. Erick Lim Teik Chung from the University of Putra Malaysia, as the lecturer representative, also expressed his appreciation and hoped for a follow-up program to strengthen research collaboration between lecturers in the future.
The SCFAAS 2024 program is a collaboration between FPP UMM and several universities in Malaysia and Thailand and is designed to last for eight days. The main objective of this program is to provide direct experience to students, both local and international, regarding important issues in the agro-complex field. Through this activity, participants collaborate to develop innovative and sustainable solutions.
A total of 22 international students from universities in Thailand, including Silpakorn University, Prince of Songkla University, and Kasetsart University, are participating in the program. Meanwhile, representatives from Malaysia include students from Sultan Zainal Abidin University (USZA) and the University of Putra Malaysia (UPM). In addition to the students, they are accompanied by several lecturers who have come to the UMM campus. These lecturers are also involved in visiting lecturer activities in each study program, covering topics relevant to their expertise.
The SCFAAS 2024 activities focus on enhancing team-building skills and cross-cultural collaboration. One of the main activities includes a field visit to Boonpring, Sanankerto Village, Malang Regency, where students engage in a learning express using an ethnographic approach. Participants are challenged to formulate design concepts based on real community issues, emphasizing sensitivity and empathy in addressing the problems faced by local residents.
Students are then divided into three groups, each assigned to observe at three locations: the Bamboo Arboretum, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and Goat Farming. Each group is responsible for identifying issues at their respective locations and formulating innovative solutions relevant to the local context. This activity not only strengthens students' understanding of agro-complex issues but also encourages them to think creatively about sustainable solutions.
This Summer Course program is expected to have a positive impact, both for international students and the local community, as well as to strengthen cooperation between FPP UMM and partner universities in Southeast Asia.
