Seminar on The 2nd ISST FST UT: Accelerating Sustainable Innovation towards Society 5.0

Research and development activities which integrate technology into one acceleration for innovation that universities can offer in facing the era of society 5.0. University’s contribution is very strategic in providing various inputs, in the forms of ideas or thoughts, researches, and innovations in order to solve many issues about sustainable food and agriculture and the issues on the development of the better quality of life and environment. One of the steps that give real contribution on this matter was held on 20 October 2022 by the Facult of Science and Technology of Indonesia Open University or Fakultas Sains and Teknologi Universitas Terbuka (FST-UT) which held a seminar on The 2nd International Seminar of Science and Technology for Society Development (ISST) 2022 taking the theme on “Accelerating Sustainable Innovation towards Society 5.0”. This international seminar is one of the activities in the series of the 38th Anniversity of the University or Dies Natalis Universitas Terbuka ke-38. Seminar on ISST is a regular event or annual agenda which is organized by FST in order accommodate the civitas academica or academicians so that they are able to socialize or disseminate their academic products.

The ISST seminar was also attended by the Head of BRIN, Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko, M.Sc., who was in this opportunity represented by Head of Organization and Research for Agriculture and Food, BRIN, Puji Lestari, Ph.D.

The program started with the remarks made by the Dean of FST, Dr. Subekti Nurmawati, M.Si. She addressed that Society 5.0 is the society that is so correlated with many breakthroughs in science and technology that serve for the prosperity in human life. Hence, the 2nd International Seminar on ISST is part of FST’s commitment to disseminate and implement may important messages concerning the paradigm of Society 5.0. Dr. Subekti Nurmawati, M.Si. hopes that this seminar can gathers new ideas that will accelerate Sustainable Innovation Toward Society 5.0.

Thereafter, the Rector of Universitas Terbuka, Prof. Ojat Darojat, Ph.D., also gave his remarks and simultaneously, officially opened the seminar by striking the gong. In his speech, he expressed his appreciation to FST which has organized this international seminar. If it is looked at the paradigm of Society 5.0, science and technology themselves have been able to promote the quality of human life without any adverse impacts on the environment and social structure. Therefore, according to him, this ISST seminar will also be able to prove that Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Terbuka has strong commitment to contributing positively in the implementation of Society 5.0. 

This ISST seminar also launched a book, titled “Accelerating Sustainable Innovation Toward Society 5.0” which is the work results of the lecturers in the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Terbuka. This book consists of 26 articles that presents various different topics on several sciences conducted in the Faculty of Science and Technology. 

Subsequently, there was a keynote speech presented by Head of Organisazation and Research for Agriculture and Food, BRIN, Puji Lestari, Ph.D., on  Research and Innovation Sustainable Food and Agriculture. In her speech, she explained that the term Sustainable Food and Agriculture means that it is when nutritious food can be served and obtained for everyone, and the natural resources can be managed by preserving the ecosystem functions in order to support the people needs from today to the future. She also illustrated a number of challenges that Sustainable Agriculture faces and the issues on the utilization of the agricultural products itself. 

ISST seminar presented a number of speakers from various world class education institutions who are personally present at the UTCC, such as Prof. Song Soo Lim from Korea University who discussed the good practices of investment strategies in environmentally friendly bio-industry sector in Korea.

Additionally, there were also present online, Prof. Takuya Sugahara of Ehime University, Japan and Prof. Dr. Paul JA Kessler of Leiden University, the Netherlands. From Indonesia itself, there were two academicians, Prof. Ir. Djoko Santoso Abi Suroso, the professor of Bandung Institute of Technology or ITB, and Dr. Whika Febria Dewitasari, S.Si., M.Si, from the Department of Biology Study Progran, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Terbuka.