The pantheon of alumni, impactful research products, and community services spreading across this nation bear testament to Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)’s active contribution to the progress and growth of Indonesia. UGM’s vision, however, is not merely confined to working for the nation. UGM is also striving to contribute to the betterment of humanity and to be present where its contribution is needed. One of the countries that received this contribution is Namibia. Located in southern Africa, Namibia recently celebrated its 32th birthday after its independence in 1990.
“It has been 14 years since I first set foot in Namibia,” recalled Dr. Ir. Taryono, M.Sc. During that time, the Namibian government was working on their food independence, especially food as a source of carbohydrates. In 1990, to meet the needs of its citizens, the newly independent country imported up to 80% of its food products. “Namibia may excel in the livestock sector, but they still struggle to develop their agriculture. One of the reasons may be due to the natural conditions of the country, considering that almost 70% of the land is savannah with only 600 mm of rainfall per year,” he added. Because of this, the Namibian government seeks to collaborate with other parties, one of them being Indonesia, in their mission to achieve food independence.
“I still remember when I heard that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia was looking to send rice experts to Namibia, which are certainly not difficult to find at UGM. Being the Vice Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at the time, I had the opportunity to accompany an expert from our faculty to visit Namibia. We visited Katima Mulilo, and the initial research showed that the area was quite suitable for rice cultivation although there were problems related to irrigation, pests, extreme temperatures, and a lack of equipment and human resources,” he explained. From the Kalimbeza Rice Project cooperation between UGM and the University of Namibia (UNAM) in Katima Mulilo, other programs followed through, including the latest project of producing various agricultural plant seeds developed through tissue culture. UGM’s involvement in the project was considered to bring a positive impact to Namibia, especially for the team members and the farmers who did not get the opportunity to pursue education and hone their skills. “We also brought agricultural technology such as tractors produced in Indonesia and the producer of fertilizers as an investor to provide quality products,” he added.
After the first visit, the relationship between UGM and UNAM became more intense to the point where Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two universities in 2009. A year later, Namibian delegation led by Prof. Lazarus Hangula visited UGM. In 2011, UGM opened a 5-hectare rice field in Namibia. In 2017, good news came from Namibia. UGM was invited to open a sugarcane plantation. In 2019, the Vice Rector of UGM visited Namibia as part of the initiation of the Indo-Africa Center. One year after that, UGM was asked to send plant tissue culture experts because a business in potato-based food agriculture was in the works. However, due to the pandemic, it could only be realized in 2022.
Moreover, UGM also provided training on plant tissue cultivation to a number of lecturers and education staff at the Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, UNAM. “The partnership undertaken by UGM has built stronger relations between Indonesia and Namibia, especially among academics. UGM’s activities in the country have received attention and appreciation from various circles in Namibia, ranging from government, academia, media, to the wider community. This cooperation also paves the way for wider cooperation in the agricultural sector and strengthens bilateral relations both at the G-to-G and people-to-people levels,” he concluded.
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