In order to maintain and manage marine resources in an inclusive and sustainable manner, Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), launched the SustainaBlue program in a ceremony event led by the Dean of FMIPA UI, Prof. Dede Djuhana, Ph.D. This event was held on Tuesday, June 11, at Prof. Dr. G.A. Siwabessy Hall in FMIPA, UI Depok campus. “We invite all academic community, stakeholders, industry, and the public to actively participate in making SustainaBlue a success, so that it can contribute to the pentahelix collaboration and accelerate the blue economy and green transition development, which are part of the government program,” said Prof. Dede.
SustainaBlue is a collaborative program between Indonesia and Malaysia funded by the European Union, which involves universities in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Some of them are the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, the Universiti Sains Malaysia, the University of the Aegean, and the University of Cyprus.
As for institutions operating in the environment, conservation, and socio-economic development fields, they are the Symplexis, AEGEANrebreath, University of Cyprus, CSI Center for Social Innovation Ltd., Malaysia Aquaculture Development Association, and PT. Pandu Bina Sejahtera. By bringing up the theme, “Urgency and Empowerment in a Maritime Country,” this activity focuses on increasing the role of higher education institutions in Indonesia and Malaysia in supporting environmental sustainability.
Prof. Dede continued by saying that the collaboration established in the SustainaBlue program must be able to accelerate the increase of innovation in the blue economy and green transition fields. This also includes overcoming knowledge gaps in the world of education, research, industry, and more importantly, the impact on the development of community service activities.
Blue economy and green transition are two concepts deeply related to sustainability. These concepts complete one another in an effort to achieve the goal of global sustainable development. Blue economy aims to make use of the economic potential of marine resources in a sustainable manner, while green transition focuses on the overall economic transformation towards a more eco-friendly and sustainable use of resources in general.
The Project Manager of UI SustainaBlue Center, Dr. rer. nat. Mufti Petala Patria, M.Sc., stated how SustainaBlue carries the principle of sustainability, which does not only mean paying attention to economic growth, but also preserving the continuity of the marine ecosystem. This effort includes sustainable management of marine resources, developing the capacity of coastal communities to increase the added value of marine products, developing relevant curricula, community service activities, and increasing public awareness of the importance of maintaining marine ecosystems.
“We hope that this SustainaBlue program brings benefit for all of us, including the coastal communities, so that we can empower and improve the standard of living of fishermen and the coastal communities, as well as develop the knowledge we have gained at FMIPA UI,” said Dr. Mufti.
In order to make full use of its role in supporting the continuity of the blue economy and green transition, SustainaBlue is currently being prepared by the Biology Department to be developed into a study center under the auspices of Special Work Unit (UKK) FMIPA UI. In the future, SustainaBlue, as a study center, will run various activity programs, such as research and development, community service, education and training, advocacy and awareness, collaboration and network, and lastly, innovation development.
This event, held in a hybrid manner, was attended by 163 participants from various professional backgrounds, starting with academics, research institutions, local authorities, and businesses operating in the blue economy sector, media, and the Pencinta Seni Budaya Gunung Salak Community. This event was also enlivened by the Directorate General of Plantations, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia.
