UGM Delegation Visit to IOB, NTU

Swarnali Roy
Dec 16
3 min read

On December 1, the Institute of Biotechnology (IOB), NTU had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia, for a full day of scientific exchange, discussion, and collaboration. It was one of those days where serious science met real-world impact and somehow still felt exciting. The schedule was packed in the best possible way: science, policy, collaboration, and a lunch that deserved its own citation.

The session kicked off with the Director of IOB, NTU, Prof. Liu, who first introduced the UGM delegates and set the stage for the day. Clear, welcoming, and effortlessly sharp. Exactly how you want to start an international academic exchange.

The opening address was delivered by Dr. Prof. Ova Emilia, Rector of UGM and a seriously influential figure in Indonesian academia and public health. Her speech highlighted the importance of global collaboration, interdisciplinary research, and the responsibility scientists carry beyond publishing papers. Calm, authoritative, and quietly powerful. You could tell everyone in the room was paying attention.

Next came a talk by Dr. Dahliana Hasan, Dean of the Faculty of Law from UGM. This was where things got especially interesting. Her work focuses on what happens after research leaves the lab: how society responds, how policies are shaped, and how law mediates the impact of research in fields like plant biotechnology, animal biotechnology, and cancer biology. It was a sharp reminder that discovery alone isn’t enough. If science changes the world, law decides how that change lands.

The session then moved into field-specific expertise with Prof. Jaka Widada, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at UGM and a field guest professor for the visit. His research centers on plant beneficial microbes, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and biodegradation, with strong implications for sustainable agriculture. Bonus academic trivia: he is also an alumnus of the University of Tokyo, just like our director, Prof. Liu. Academia really loves coincidences.

Following this, Prof. Liu formally introduced IOB, NTU, giving an overview of the institute’s research direction and ongoing projects. This flowed naturally into a series of focused research talks:

Dr. JR Liu, who presented his work on microbial and animal biotechnology, including several exciting ongoing projects.
Dr. JC Chen, who discussed his research on plant defense mechanisms, breaking down how plants respond to stress and pathogens at the molecular level.
Dr. SH Yu, who wrapped up the session with her work on molecular pathology, and tumor immunology, showcasing how biotechnology is driving next-generation therapeutic strategies.

Throughout the day, the UGM delegates actively exchanged ideas with NTU and IOB researchers, exploring potential avenues for future collaboration.

Then came lunch. And yes, it was very good.

The afternoon continued with presentations by PhD students from our lab, which sparked even more discussion and cross-disciplinary curiosity. It was one of those moments where you remember why academic exchanges matter. Different backgrounds, different systems, same obsession with asking better questions.

I'd like to end with a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this exchange possible, from setting up the room to organizing the logistics and putting together an excellent lunch.

A big thank you to Miss Zhang from the IOB office, who handled coordination and logistics with absolute professionalism. Thank you as well to our amazing master’s students, Yi-Hua and 楊佳芸, and Wei-Sung (our superstar PhD student), for managing the arrangements and ensuring that the food, space, and overall flow of the day were seamless.