In the very keen effort to internationalization, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada currently accommodates some foreign students activities. In Postgraduate Doctoral Program, Faculty of Geography had just conducted final examination for Pramaditya Wicaksono, a staff member of Faculty Geography who conducted a joint supervision for his Doctoral Program, between Universitas Gadjah Mada and Institute for Technology and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, Cologne University of Applied Science, Germany. His worked entitled “Remote Sensing Model Development for Seagrass and Mangroves Carbon Stock Mapping”. Promoted by Prof. Dr. Hartono DEA, DESS and Dr. Projo Danoedoro, M.Sc from UGM and Dr. Udo Nehren also Prof. Lars Ribe from CUAS, he was able to defend his argument on the importance of remote sensing for detecting seagrass and mangrove in his research area. He is able to conduct Joint Doctoral Program between UGM – CUAS, using 3 months program at CUAS (2010 and 2013).
In slightly different topics, Tumpale Sakijege, one of the international Doctoral student at Doctoral Study Program of Geography has just defended her thesis on flood management. The research entitled “Adaptation strategies in flood-prone informal settlements: a comparative study between Surakarta, Indonesia and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania”. Promoted by Prof. Dr. Junun Sartohadi and Prof. Dr. Muh Aris Marfai, she managed to finalize her study in 3 year and productively submitted international journal after her researches. There board of examiners is coordinated by Prof Dr R Rijanta, M.Sc, together with Dr. Dyah Rahmawati Hizbaron, M.Sc. and Dr. Bevaola Kusumasari, M.Sci (Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada). Prof. Ir. Widodo MSCE, PhD (Indonesia Islamic University) acted as external examiner, while the chairman during the exam is conducted by Dr. Suharyadi, M.Sc.
Faculty of Geography has long experience in working with disaster issues, environmental issues as well as social-political issues, which relates to any spatial temporal approach. The research of Ms. Sakijege promotes a very interesting finding about adaptation strategies conducted at Kelurahan Sangkrah, Surakarta and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Despite different physical characteristics, the research focused on informal settlement strategies to resist from urban flood. She promotes that protection motivation theory and collaborative theory has been implemented enormously at Kelurahan Sangkrah, Surakarta. Hereafter, a spatial and temporal approach holds significant favor to reveal her finding.
In postgraduate master program, our Faculty has recently accommodated 6 internship students from Germany, Netherlands, and Nepal. The international students shared common interest with students from Faculty of Geography in doing collaborative research on disaster issues and migration. In general, these internship students conducted fieldwork with full assistance from our student, who already had experiences in the research area, or those who had interest at the same topic. The most common crosscutting themes are ranging from community based disaster risk reduction, vulnerability and livelihood, ecosystem services and international mobility.
Based upon the data collected from Bureau of International Affairs of Faculty Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, in 2014 the “in mobility researcher” increasing rapidly up to 125 visitor (include IJJSS event), and calculated up to 200 visitor (include City of Volcano event). In order to accommodate this increased demand of foreign student activities, thereafter the Faculty of Geography provide more facilities such as availability of full internet access working station for each student, assistance during administrative matters regarding visa and other basic permit regulation, student buddies to accompany them during their first week stay in Indonesia as well as during their fieldwork.
Meanwhile, “out mobility researcher” from UGM abroad have increased trend. Their interests to learn abroad had increased significantly, therefore international cooperation with many university abroad has also get more influence. Their existences abroad become our agent of change, which indicate the performance of our institution directly to our foreign partner. It is our main challenge in the future to have more staff/student abroad doing research and gain more global attention.