Yogyakarta, August 19, 2025 – The Applied Forest Management Undergraduate Program, Department of Biological and Veterinary Technology, Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada held its inaugural lecture for the 2025/2026 Academic Year with the theme UGM Vocational School Foresters: Ready to Work, Ready to Make a Real Difference for Indonesia’s Forests. The event, which took place at the Teaching Industry Learning Center (TILC) SV UGM, was attended by students, lecturers, industry partners, and related parties from the forestry sector.
This event served as a moment to welcome 102 new students to the Forest Management Study Program while strengthening their identity as future foresters who are ready to work and make a real contribution to Indonesia’s forests.
In his report, Ir. Prasetyo Nugroho, S.Hut., M.Sc., Ph.D., IPM., as the Head of the Study Program, conveyed the developments in academic and student activities, as well as opening opportunities for students to get involved in internship programs in various forestry sectors.
The event was officially opened by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. Agus Maryono, IPM., ASEAN Eng., Dean of Sekolah Vokasi UGM. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of synergy between academia and industry to produce excellent, competitive graduates who are able to respond to the challenges of sustainable forest management in Indonesia.
The inaugural lecture was followed by a seminar led by Denni Susanto, S.Hut., M.Sc., Ph.D., on the urgency of developing human resources capacity in the forestry sector to address the challenges of forest management in Indonesia. In the first session, drh. Indra Exploitasia, M.Si., Head of the Extension and Human Resource Development Agency (BP2SDM) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, explained the national policy direction for forestry human resource development. He emphasized the importance of the role of the younger generation in supporting this policy so that Indonesia will have competent and integrity-driven foresters.
Meanwhile, in the second session, Kei Watanabe, President Director of PT Musi Hutan Persada, shared his views on the challenges and opportunities for young foresters in the modern forestry industry. He emphasized that the industry desperately needs the new generation of foresters, even stating emphatically, “Our company needs young foresters like you.”
In addition to the seminar, the event also included the presentation of competency certificates to 2021 students who had passed their professional exams, as well as the signing of a cooperation agreement for the Work Association Scholarship Program between Sekolah Vokasi UGM and PT Musi Hutan Persada.
This series of activities is a concrete step in developing a young generation of foresters who are ready to contribute, while strengthening the synergy between students, academics, and strategic forestry partners for the future of Indonesia’s forests.