Faculty of Science reinforces collaboration in Indonesia
Early November, a delegation of the Faculty of Science visited two Indonesian universities to shape the collaboration in bioscience. The Faculty also opened a new Indonesian office in Yogyakarta.
The delegation consisted amongst others of Dean Geert de Snoo, Prof. Hans de Iongh, Prof. Hubertus Irth and the prefect of the Hortus botanicus, Paul Kessler. They visited the Faculty of Science of the Universitas Indonesia (UI) in Jakarta and the Faculties of Biology and Pharmacy of the Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta. Their visit resulted from agreements made during a visit of the Indonesian faculties to the faculty in Leiden in April this year.
Universitas Indonesia
In Jakarta, the delegation made agreements with the Dean Abdul Harris of the Faculty of Science of the UI on research cooperation in the fields of biology, pharmacy and sustainability. The aim is that seven PhD students of the UI will start their PhD in Leiden, guided by professors of both universities. Furthermore, it was agreed that at the beginning of 2017 twelve Indonesian and twelve Dutch students will perform collaborative research in sustainability at the field station of the UI in Indonesia. Also, further agreements have been made for the realisation of a twin garden of the Hortus botanicus Leiden on the campus of the UI. Finally, the faculty organised an alumni event where students joined who will become a Leiden master or PhD student next year.
Universitas Gadjah Mada
The members of the delegation visited the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta. At the UGM, they spoke with de Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Prof. Budy Setiadi Daryono, and the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof. Agung Endro Nugroho. The faculties made specific agreements about joint PhD programmes in bioscience in two memoranda of agreement.
New Indonesian office
In order to promote the research collaboration between the faculties, the Leiden Faculty of Science established the Leiden Science-UGM Joint Collaboration Office in Yogyakarta. This office houses in the Faculty of Pharmacy. Deans Agung Endro Nugroho and De Snoo opened this second Leiden office in Indonesia together. Sylvia Utami Tunjung Pratiwi is the Leiden representative at UGM. She is alumnus of the faculty and assistant professor at UGM. Also, an agreement was made that the two faculties of UGM and the Leiden Faculty of Science will explore the possibilities for a zebrafish research facility at the UGM.
