Semarang, August 15, 2025 – The Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Summer Camp 2025 program was successfully held from August 4–15, 2025, with the theme “From Biodiversity to Health and Nutrition: Bridging Green Chemistry and Biotechnology for Sustainable Solutions.” This activity was a collaboration between Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Diponegoro University, Udayana University, Lampung University, Soegijapranata Catholic University, and Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).
The series of activities began with online lectures from August 4–11, 2025, where participants received over 30 hours of intensive learning from UMS experts and international partner universities. The course material covered topics such as biodiversity, conservation, chemistry, biotechnology, food science, nutrition, and pharmacy. On this occasion, Nor Basid Adiwibawa Prasetya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., a materials chemistry expert from the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Diponegoro University (Undip), also contributed as a resource person with a lecture on “Eugenol Beyond Tradition: Transforming Southeast Asian Biodiversity into Sustainable Innovations for Health, Food, and the Environment.”
Next, on August 12–15, 2025, the activity continued with an excursion and community service in Sabah, Malaysia. Participants visited various UMS academic facilities such as the biotechnology laboratory, hatchery aquarium, and the Museum of Borneo. Cultural excursions also included a visit to the Tagal System (a traditional fisheries conservation system of the indigenous people of Sabah, primarily practiced in inland rivers), a visit to the “Sabah Tea” tea plantation industry, an introduction to Sabah culture exhibited at the Sabah Museum in Kota Kinabalu, and a taste of highland culture at Kinabalu Park in Kundasang. During the community service session in Kota Belud, participants provided education to sugarcane farmers in Lentigi Village on the use of agricultural waste as a natural insecticide and herbicide to support green farming, as well as to students from Tadika and SK Kinasaraban.
Diponegoro University also participated by sending four students from the Chemistry Study Program: Muhammad Reza Saputra (Chemistry 2023), Uswatun Khasanah (Chemistry 2022), Prabu Biru Santoso (Chemistry 2024), and Nasya Dwi Shafara (Chemistry 2024). The four students were accompanied by Prof. Dr. Dra. Meiny Suzery, M.S., and Nor Basid Adiwibawa Prasetya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. This participation was supported by World Class University funding from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics at Diponegoro University, demonstrating its commitment to expanding international academic collaboration and providing international exposure to students.
The Undip students expressed positive impressions of the experience. Muhammad Reza Saputra (Chemistry 2023) said, “I gained new insights into how Southeast Asia’s biodiversity can be transformed into innovative solutions for sustainable health and food.” Meanwhile, Prabu Biru Santoso (Chemistry 2024) added, “The community service activity in Kota Belud was a valuable experience for me, because I was able to directly see how the knowledge we learned benefits the community.”
As the accompanying lecturer delegate, Prof. Dr. Dra. Meiny Suzery, M.S., expressed her appreciation, saying, “This program provides a very valuable experience, not only for the students but also for us as educators. The synergy between academics, culture, and community service presented by the 2025 UMS Summer Camp is a model that should be developed in international collaboration.” Similarly, Nor Basid Adiwibawa Prasetya, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., echoed this sentiment. He emphasized, “The participation of Undip students in this program is a concrete step in preparing the younger generation with global insight, social awareness, and competitive academic skills. We hope the network formed will continue through joint research and exchange of contracts.”
