Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) Universitas Indonesia (UI) Prof. Jatna Supriatna, Ph.D., received the Bosscha Medal 2023 award from Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities. This award is given for his dedication to scientific research, education, and international collaboration to advance nature conservation and environmental protection. This award was received symbolically by Prof. Jatna at the BRIN-LDE Academy 2023 international conference and given directly by the Dean of Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) Universities Alliance Prof. Wim van den Doel, at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN), South Tangerang, on Monday (23/10).
For Prof. Jatna, the 2023 Bosscha Medal award is a motivation for him to continue working, especially regarding combining scientific and teaching excellence with critical social impact. Until now, Prof. Jatna has published 30 books, mostly about Indonesia’s biodiversity and environment. Moreover, he has also published more than 180 articles in international journals in the scope of conservation biology, nature, primates, primate conservation, herpetology, and others. Apart from that, he is also recorded as having published two books which are included in the list of best-selling environmental books in Indonesia, namely Conservation Biology (2007) and Saving of Indonesia’s Nature (2009).
More than that, Prof. Jatna is also considered to play a very important role in maintaining and improving relations between UI and Leiden University. He has collaborated with professors in the Netherlands in conducting various research and guiding Indonesian students who are studying at Leiden University, especially doctoral programs. Furthermore, he also actively contributed to summer/winter school programs organized by UI and Leiden University. In this activity, students from both universities worked together on topics related to conservation and sustainability.
“Indonesia is a country rich in biodiversity, that’s why we need to have a young generation who focuses on the values of biodiversity. In the future, I will continue to work, do research, go out into the field, teach and guide students,” said Prof. Jatna.
Until now, Prof. Jatna has received many awards from various institutions and universities both at home and abroad. Last August, he received the international award The Margot Marsh Award for Excellence Primate Conservation 2023 which was handed over directly by Russell A. Mittermeier, Chief Conservation Officer of the Re:Wild organization at the World Congress of Primatology in Malaysia. Then, in 2017 he received the Lifetime Achievement award from Conservation International in the field of Biodiversity Conservation.
Apart from that, he also received the Achmad Bakrie Award in the field of Science for his commitment to developing Field Biology and Conservation in Indonesia, in 2011. Then, in 2010, Prof. Jatna received the Terry MacManus Award from the United States for his dedication to environmental awareness and actions in preserving nature.
Furthermore, in 2009, he also received the Habibie Award from the 3rd President of Indonesia, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. H. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, FREng., for extraordinary achievements in natural science research. Then, in 1999 he received his first award from Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands as The Most Excellent Order of Golden Ark for his dedication to the environmental field.
Thanks to his love and dedication in the field of conservation biology, his name has also been immortalized as the name of a new species of tarsier primate from Gorontalo, North Sulawesi, namely Tarsius supriatnai. This is provided by the results of research conducted by members of the World Conservation Union-IUCN SSC-Primate Specialist Group. Apart from that, his name is also immortalized as the name of a species of flying gecko from the Togean Islands, Central Sulawesi, with the name Draco supriatnai. Then, by Indonesian researchers in a survey in the West Bali National Park, a new type of gecko was discovered which was named the Bali Gecko (Cyrtodactylus jatnai).
