[Unpad Media Channel] An Universitas Padjadjaran Graduate School professor, Dr. Sc. Dina Oktavia, M.Si., became a participant of the 2024 International Union of Forest Research Organization (IUFRO) World Congress. The event, adopting the theme of “Forests and Society Towards 2050”, was held in Stockholm, Sweden on June 23-29.
During the process, Oktavia was also awarded a full sponsorship from IUFRO through the IUFRO Scientist Assistance Programme, which afforded her the opportunity to attend the Pre-congress Training Workshop (PCTW). The workshop itself was held at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, on June 19-22.
The topic that Oktavia chose for the Workshop was that of research methods. The Workshop was taught by Prof. John Kershaw from Canada’s University of New Brunswick.
“The IUFRO World Congress is a global forum to exchange knowledge, perspectives, and aims of scientists from many disciplines. It is also an event held every five years for dialogue with the youth, policy makers, people in charge of forest management, corporate representatives, and some of the biggest NGOs in the world. I started submitting my abstracts for the Congress in 2014, when I was studying for my master’s degree. This year marks the first time I participated directly by presenting my research,” said Oktavia.
She had the opportunity to present two studies of hers at the 2024 IUFRO World Congress. The first was titled “Unearthing Past Sundaland’s Legacy: The Savanna Corridor of Belitung Kerangas Forest, Indonesia”. This presentation brought up the importance of ecosystem conservation for Kerangas forest for its function as a laboratory in a natural site, as the forest is suspected to have existed since the Last Glacial Maximum era.
The existence of Kerangas forest is crucial in reconstructing global climate change since it is located in the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP). There is also a need to build a permanent plot which could be monitored sustainably as a subject of study for its ecological processes and biodiversity.
Oktavia’s second presentation, titled “Universitas Padjadjaran Arboretum Offers Biodiversity Resources for Long-term Research and Education, discussed the potential of Unpad as a university which offers great potential biodiversity through its campus arboretum in Jatinangor.
The Arboretum has been utilized as a place for practicum and research by Unpad students for the last 15 years. Through the forum, Unpad’s role becomes not only as a higher education institution, but also as the managing body of its local ecosystem and biodiversity for a sustainable life.
Oktavia’s participation in the Congress is expected to contribute to the global exchange of knowledge surrounding tropical forests, and to support better management and conservation efforts of Kerangas forest in Indonesia. Furthermore, her presence helped to promote Unpad as an institution which focuses on ecosystem conservation, and as a service provider for ecosystems and biodiversity within its own campus. (arm/ICP)*
