This ranking significantly improved from the previous year (2024), especially in academic reputation, H-index citation, and employer reputation indicators. 

Among the 261 universities worldwide listed in the Archaeology subject category, UGM is the only university from Indonesia to make the list.

Dean of FIB UGM, Professor Setiadi, stated that the UGM Archaeology Program is the only archaeology program in Indonesia included in the WUR by Subject 2025. 

He explained that academic reputation is one of the indicators used to measure the reputation of archaeology programs at universities around the world, particularly in academic quality and archaeological research. The assessment is carried out through international surveys. 

“The UGM Archaeology Program scored 68.8 in academic reputation, which is quite high,” he said at FIB UGM on Thursday (Apr. 10).

Professor Setiadi explained that the Department of Archaeology at FIB UGM has implemented various strategies to enhance its academic reputation. 

These include fostering collective support among faculty members and students to participate in international research funding competitions, encouraging international research collaborations, presenting research at association-organized conferences, and publishing findings in reputable archaeology journals.

He noted that the faculty also provides matching funds and other financial support to ensure equitable contributions in joint research. 

Additionally, the program regularly holds international field schools and analytical workshops in Indonesia and partner institutions abroad. 

“To ensure continuous quality improvement, faculty and students provide and attend academic training independently. They also collaborate with various institutions through online training in heritage analysis and management,” he explained.

Furthermore, he mentioned that alumni reputation is part of the employer reputation indicator in the WUR by Subject. 

This year, the UGM Archaeology Program scored 57.7 in employer reputation. 

This indicator reflects how institutions perceive the employability of archaeology graduates from UGM worldwide.

In this context, the survey asked the Archaeology Program at FIB UGM to identify outstanding graduates suitable for recruitment as students, research assistants, or staff members. 

Through this process, the program earned a score of 57.7 in 2025. 

“To boost alumni reputation, we have benchmarked both formal and informal programs offered by archaeology departments in Indonesia and abroad to ensure our curriculum aligns with current trends in archaeological sciences,” he explained.

The UGM Archaeology Program also engages in faculty exchange, both online and in person, to share the latest archaeological research findings. 

Students are encouraged to participate in international activities by being appointed research assistants and receiving financial support to attend international seminars, workshops, English courses, and public speaking training. 

“These activities aim to build students’ confidence in global communication,” he said.

Professor Setiadi added that the program received an H-index score of 50.4 this year. While this score is promising, he acknowledged the need for further improvement. 

The H-index measures research productivity and the impact of scholarly citations.

To improve citation metrics, he emphasized the importance of continuously encouraging and facilitating the publication of high-quality research in reputable national and international journals by both faculty and students. 

Although the program already provides research funding, efforts must be intensified to build networks in international research communities and professional associations. 

“This is essential for gaining broader recognition and increasing opportunities to engage in national and international research activities,” he concluded.

Author: Agung Nugroho

Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya

Photographer: Donnie

Artikel UGM Archaeology Program Ranked 151–200 Globally pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Nationally, the program secured the top rank in Indonesia and ranked 10th in Asia. This accomplishment affirms MM FEB UGM’s position as one of the regionally and globally leading business programs.

Professor Amin Wibowo, Head of the MM FEB UGM Program at the Yogyakarta Campus, stated that the achievement results from various strategic efforts undertaken by MM FEB UGM to improve education quality, teaching, and collaboration with industry partners. 

“One key factor behind this success is the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation held by MM FEB UGM,” he said at FEB UGM on Wednesday (Apr. 9).

Professor Wibowo emphasized that the recognition was a collective success made possible by the hard work of the academic community, including faculty members, students, and alumni. 

He noted that the program consistently upholds the principle of continuous improvement. 

“We are grateful and proud of this recognition. It brings a responsibility for MM FEB UGM to serve as a model for other programs and to continue enhancing the quality of education through broad collaboration,” he said.

He further explained that the QS International Trade 2025 assessment comprises six aspects: trade program content, reputation, graduate outcome, industry engagement, innovative teaching, and research. 

The respective weights for these indicators are 30% for trade program content, 20% for graduate outcomes, 15% for industry engagement, 10% for innovative teaching, 20% for reputation, and 10% for research.

Professor Wibowo added that MM FEB UGM will continue to ensure improvement across all indicators to maintain the quality of its academic program. 

The curriculum is regularly reviewed to meet labor market demands and stay relevant to current developments.

The program remains committed to evaluating areas for improvement. Following its success as the top-ranked program in Indonesia in the QS International Trade rankings, MM FEB UGM is now aiming to improve its position at the Southeast Asian level. 

“Of course, this process comes with challenges. Like nurturing a tree to grow and bear high-quality fruit, we must continue working hard to innovate and grow, ensuring MM FEB UGM remains competitive on the global stage,” he concluded.

Reporters: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekaptiningsrum and Shofi Hawa Anjani

Author: Agung Nugroho 

Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya

Artikel MM FEB UGM Ranks 71st Globally in QS International Trade Rankings 2025 pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

UGM received two Gold and one Silver award. The Gold awards were in the Communication Program for Social Responsibility category, under the Community-Based Development subcategory, and in the Digital Channel category, under the TikTok Social Media subcategory. 

Meanwhile, the Silver award was given in the Public Relations Program category under the Digital Public Relations subcategory.

Secretary of the University (SU), Dr. Andi Sandi Antonius Tabusassa Tonralipu, expressed his appreciation for the achievements of UGM’s Public Relations, News, and Protocol teams in this event. These awards are the result of the hard work of the entire UGM community.

Dr. Tonralipu mentioned that the PR Indonesia Awards are an indicator of successful public relations performance in Indonesia, including in the higher education sector. 

The three awards UGM received reflect three flagship programs from various tri-dharma of higher education initiatives designed as solutions to address the nation’s problems.

In this event, he continued, UGM showcased approaches in communicating university programs aligned with the SDGs by activating adaptive and innovative communication strategies to stay relevant to today’s generation. 

“These awards motivate us to continue strengthening UGM’s role at both the national and international levels while also inspiring more parties to adopt effective communication strategies for their flagship programs,” he said Thursday (Feb. 27).

Meanwhile, the Founder and CEO of PR Indonesia Group, Asmono Wikan, emphasized the crucial role and profession of public relations (PR) in Indonesia, which must continue to adapt to remain relevant amid policy changes, technological advancements, and the uncertainties of the times. 

“Adaptive, strategic, and data-driven PR will be key to facing challenges and seizing opportunities in the future. PR is not just a messenger but a guardian of trust, a guide, and a reputation manager,” explained Wikan.

This 10th edition of PRIA applied international competition standards with an essay-based entry selection system for the first time. The judging process involved 16 jurors from various professional backgrounds in PR.

This year, 581 entries from 209 institutions competed to win the best awards across various categories, including Owned Media, Digital Channels, Crisis Management, Annual Reports, PR Programs, PR Departments, and SR Communications.

Author: Astri Wulandari

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Artikel UGM Wins 3 Awards at PR Indonesia Awards 2025 pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The General Manager of Semar UGM, Hans Tobias Sihombing, explained that they built a prototype car for this competition powered by an electric motor running on a battery. 

The battery, including the horn and safety devices, was used to power the car. 

“The total energy consumed during the trial will be used to calculate the mileage covered,” Sihombing stated in a press release on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.

He revealed that his team had to go through three stages of selection to compete with other teams in one of the most prestigious energy-efficient car competitions. 

In the first stage, they completed formal registration and administration. 

They then submitted technical documentation about the prototype car they were entering in the competition. 

“This stage was to ensure the committee understood that our car was ready and compliant with their regulations,” he added.

He also shared the challenges faced by the team during preparation and the competition. 

Technically, the difference in weather between Indonesia and Qatar was one of the hurdles. The dry and cold weather and strong winds added strain on the prototype car. 

“The track characteristics are different, making it harder to achieve the same speed,” the General Manager explained.

After winning the international award in Qatar, he mentioned that Semar UGM is preparing for several upcoming competitions, including Autonomous Programming. The competition was hosted by the same company, Shell, in Qatar. 

The team aims to achieve even greater success by preparing thoroughly and evaluating their car’s performance. 

“We want to achieve maximum success in the future,” he concluded.

Author: Tiefany

Editor: Gusti Grehenson

Post-editor: Lintang 

Artikel Semar UGM Wins Award at Shell Eco-Marathon 2025 in Qatar pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The FEB UGM team competed against 122 teams in the preliminary rounds and advanced to the final, where it competed with nine other teams.

Team member Raisa Aulia Pratistha Putri explained that their team submitted a paper discussing a new Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for Fore Coffee. 

Their proposed business idea aimed to make the Fore Coffee brand stand out in the highly competitive coffee market and become Indonesia’s top-of-mind local coffee brand.

In the final round, Putri mentioned that the 10 teams were asked to create and present a pitch deck outlining a marketing strategy for the USP they had previously developed. 

“The marketing strategy needed to be feasible, have a significant impact on Fore Coffee, and align with the brand’s values,” Putri stated at FEB UGM on Wednesday (Feb. 19).

Putri shared that the journey to winning first place in this business competition was not easy. She and Vittorio Valero Salim from FEB UGM’s 2022 Management program formed Team Dolphin, which also includes students from the Management program at Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS). 

The challenges began during the paper’s preparation. They were only given five days to complete it and frequently had to revise their concept as it developed. 

Putri said that even close to the presentation day, Team Dolphin was still making changes to their pitch deck to ensure the best presentation. 

Fortunately, their hard work paid off as their team cohesion led Team Dolphin to win first place. 

“We never expected to win first place. We thought the other finalists were outstanding and had impressive skills. We hope this becomes a stepping stone for future achievements,” she said.

Reporters: FEB UGM/Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan and Kurnia Ekaptiningrum

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Artikel FEB UGM Students Develop Winning Strategy for Fore Coffee, Claim First Place in Entrepreneur Day 2025 Competition pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Professor Isnansetyo received the award along with two other UGM lecturers: Dr. Rachma Wikandari from the UGM Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM) and Professor Ika Dewi Ana from the UGM Faculty of Dentistry (FKG UGM).

Professor Isnansetyo won the Best Innovation Award for his innovation on a waste-free process for utilizing brown seaweed to control fish and shrimp disease and produce biofertilizers. 

“This innovation is inspired by Indonesia’s rich marine resources, which researchers or industries have not widely explored,” he told reporters on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.

According to him, brown seaweed (Phaeophyceae) contains a high alginate content and fucoidan. 

“Alginates can be applied in medicine, industry, food, feed, and fisheries,” he explained.

His research uses alginate and fucoidan compounds from brown seaweed for aquaculture. 

As a lecturer in the Department of Fisheries, Professor Isnansetyo uses alginates to enhance fish and shrimp immunity, while fucoidan improves fish vaccine effectiveness. 

“This research has produced several immunostimulant formulations based on alginate and fucoidan,” he said.

He hopes the research outcomes can be applied in the community by industries and fish farmers. 

The veterinary pharmaceutical industry can produce fish vaccines with adjuvants like fucoidan and immunostimulants. 

“These vaccines have been distributed to marine fish farmers to enhance fish immunity. We also collaborate with companies to commercialize these products,” he explained.

In the future, he hopes to continue the research to achieve more perfect results. 

One of his efforts is to upgrade the technology used to create vaccines and immunostimulants. 

Professor Isnansetyo revealed that his team had started developing nanoparticles in the form of nano-alginates and nanofucoidan. 

By creating nanoparticles, the effectiveness of the formulated products is expected to increase. 

“We aim to improve the quantity and quality of fishery production as a protein source to enhance public nutrition and health,” he said.

He acknowledged that his research utilizing brown seaweed is based on the concept of a zero-waste process. 

He is grateful for receiving the award for his research on brown seaweed utilization. 

In addition to the Hitachi Award, Professor Isnansetyo also received the 2023 Academic Leader in Maritime Affairs Award from the Directorate General of Higher Education. 

“I am proud to be part of UGM, as this award also reflects UGM’s nationally and internationally recognized reputation,” he added.

Author: Tiefany

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Post-editor: Lintang

Photographs by: Firsto & Antara

Artikel UGM Researcher Develops Fish and Shrimp Immunostimulants from Brown Seaweed pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

UGM Biology lecturer Dr. Ganies Riza Aristya is researching the fungus Rhodotorula glutinis, commonly known as red yeast, as an alternative energy source. 

This fungus can be found in various environments and isolated from air, soil, grass, lakes, seas, food, fruits, human skin, and human waste. 

This research aims to optimize the use of microorganisms for bioenergy production as a renewable energy source to replace fossil fuels.

Dr. Aristya mentioned the potential of red yeast as an alternative energy source. Red yeast has great potential due to its ability to accumulate and produce large amounts of lipids. 

“In some cases, lipid accumulation in R. glutinis can reach 72.4%, making it a potential lipid producer for energy sources,” she told reporters on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.

Its ability to produce large amounts of lipids comes from a biosynthetic pathway that allows this microorganism to convert various carbon sources into high-value compounds, including lipids or other biopolymers. 

The development of lipid products can go beyond biofuels to biopolymer products such as bioplastic polymers like polyhydroxybutyrate.

“Optimizing the synthesis of essential compounds in this red yeast can be done through process, genetic, or metabolic engineering,” he explained.

Dr. Aristya said the selection of red yeast or R. glutinis as research material is based on its ability to accumulate high levels of lipids, particularly triacylglycerol (TAG), which can be converted into energy in the form of biofuel. 

“R. glutinis was also chosen because of its ability to grow on various substrates,” he said.

Not stopping there, red yeast’s ability to produce lipids over 15% of its dry cell weight, it can also metabolize various compounds used as carbon sources, such as monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides, organic acids, glycerol, raw materials, industrial by-products, and wastewater.

It is important to note that this fungus produces and accumulates lipids in large amounts when nitrogen is limited but carbon is sufficient. 

Under such conditions, the yeast redirects its metabolism to lipid biosynthesis as an energy reserve in the form of Triacylglycerol (TAG).

The resulting lipids can be extracted and converted into biodiesel as an energy source. 

“The lipids obtained from the yeast cells will be converted into biodiesel through transesterification, reacting TAG with methanol to produce biodiesel as fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The biodiesel obtained can be used as energy,” she said.

Research on the genetic engineering of this microorganism has been ongoing for eight years. 

For this research, Dr. Aristya and her team received a research grant from the Indonesia Toray Science Foundation (ITSF) under the Science and Technology Research Grant (STRG) category. 

With her work titled ‘Yeast Bioengineering for Sustainable Lipid-Based Energy Production from Rhodotorula glutinis,’ Dr. Aristya was one of 18 recipients of the STRG-ITSF award in 2025 on Jan. 30 in Jakarta.

Author: Jelita Agustine  

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Artikel UGM Lecturer Studies Potential of Red Yeast for Alternative Energy Source pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

This award was granted for her dedicated research on microprotein developed from soybean boiling water.

Dr. Wikandari has been conducting research on microproteins for approximately four years. According to her, microproteins are an alternative protein with nutritional content between meat and soybeans. 

Its amino acid content is also more complete than that of soybeans. Microprotein itself is made from the mycelium of tempeh mushrooms grown in a liquid medium. 

The harvested texture resembles dough, making it easy to shape into forms like meatballs or sausages. 

“However, there is still a need for development to make the texture of the harvested product similar to chicken meat,” Dr. Wikandari said on Tuesday (Feb. 4).

Regarding her expertise in food processing, Dr. Wikandari mentioned that this microprotein’s advantages go beyond its nutritional value. 

The production process is relatively short, taking just two days, and the yield can be up to one kilogram. Moreover, the reactor needed is only 1×1 meters in size, making it space-efficient. 

“The enzymes it contains can grow on various substrates, such as soybean boiling water,” she explained.

She added that in addition to its nutritional benefits, microprotein production can help address the waste problem generated by the tempeh industry and increase income for tempeh vendors. 

Currently, Dr. Wikandari is working on a sterilization model for the medium, and further research is being conducted on the reactor to simplify it for commercialization.

Dr. Wikandari’s research not only led her to win the Hitachi Award but also earned her several other awards, including the L’Oreal – Unesco for Women in Science National Fellowship 2024 Award Academy.

Dr. Wikandari noted that this award motivated her even more to continue making tangible contributions to society. She acknowledged that introducing this research to the public posed its challenges. 

The lecturer explained that Indonesian society tends to be resistant to new food products, a phenomenon known as food neophobia. However, the mushrooms used in microprotein are the same as those found in tempeh, so there is no need to be concerned about consuming microprotein products. 

“It does need to be cooked beforehand, as it contains RNA that could potentially cause gout, but the microprotein product is safe to consume, just like tempeh,” she said.

In December 2024, Dr. Wikandari introduced microprotein to the public by collaborating with a chef to prepare it as spaghetti. The public response was positive, and many enjoyed the microprotein dish. They remarked that its texture was similar to sausage.

Dr. Wikandari hopes that the research on alternative food potential she has developed can help solve societal problems by exploring and utilizing local food resources.

Author: Jelita Agustine

Editor: Gusti Grehenson

Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya

Photos by: Firsto and Shutterstock

Artikel Investigating Microprotein Benefits in Tempeh Mushrooms, Dr. Rachma Wikandari Wins Hitachi Award pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The event was held online through The Conversation Indonesia’s YouTube channel on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

In the Most Productive University category, UGM was recognized for producing 43 publications on The Conversation Indonesia, followed by Universitas Indonesia (UI) with 41 publications and Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) with 38 publications.

UGM’s Director of Research, Professor Mirwan Ushada, expressed appreciation for the award, which encourages UGM researchers to continue disseminating new knowledge to enhance national education. 

“As a higher education institution, UGM remains committed to building collective intelligence from upstream to downstream,” he said.

He emphasized that university research publications can help validate and clarify misinformation circulating on social media. 

“These publications reflect researchers’ work and as tools for validating data and facts,” he added.

The TCID awards night featured 13 categories. In addition to the Most Productive University award, Ronny Soviandhi, an assistant researcher at the UGM Center for Tropical Medicine, received the Editor’s Choice Award in Health.

Soviandhi expressed his happiness, pride, and gratitude for receiving the award, which motivates him to continue raising awareness about diseases often overlooked, such as leprosy, tuberculosis, and HIV. 

“We aim to keep spreading knowledge, especially to communities with low literacy. Knowledge is key to empowering communities and guiding better decision-making,” he said.

This year’s TCID saw 700 articles from more than 600 researchers from universities, ministries, and institutions. 

The awards were given to honor researchers who contribute to improving public knowledge through their publications.

Author: Gusti Grehenson

Post-editor: Lintang

Artikel UGM Wins Most Productive University in Publications Award pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The competition was held at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, on 20-21 Jan.

In the competition, DTETI students collaborated with students from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (DTMI) as part of the Hi-Flex team. 

In the final round, the Hi-Flex team secured the First Runner-up title at the Huawei Developer Competition 2024 Asia Pacific for their innovation. They competed against 662,220 teams for a total prize pool of USD 34,000.

The Hi-Flex team consists of Aufa Nasywa Rahman, Ahmad Zaki Akmal, and Petrus Aria Chevalier Rambing (Information Technology 2021), along with Larasati Kinanti and Laurencia Otniel Sukamto (Industrial Engineering 2021). 

In a statement to reporters on Sunday (Jan. 27), Rahman explained that the Hi-Flex team designed their innovation based on an idea they conceived and developed independently. 

“All the creation and development of the solution (build solution) were done at DTETI,” he said.

In this competition, participants were tasked with developing information and communication technology (ICT) solutions using Huawei’s cloud technology to address real-world problems. 

“All participating teams were divided into the Enterprise Track and Student Track categories. Each category had six winners after several selection stages, including proposal submission, solution demo presentations, and competing in the final round,” he added.

At this year’s Huawei Developer Competition Asia Pacific, two of the six winning teams in the Student Track category were from UGM. 

The other team besides Hi-Flex was Cloudia Crew, consisting of students from the Department of Computer Science and Electronics at the UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM). This team secured the Second-Runner-up title.

Reporter: FT UGM/Rasya Swarnasta

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Documentation: Huawei

Artikel UGM Students Win Award at Huawei Developer Competition Asia Pacific pertama kali tampil pada Universitas Gadjah Mada.