The Department of Aquatic Resources Management (MSP), Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK) IPB University has successfully obtained a grant for the Independent Campus Competition Programme (PKKM) from the Directorate General of Higher Education (Ditjen Dikti), Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemdikbudristek) for 2023. One of the proposed excellent programmes is the Blue Carbon Thematic Independent Campus Learning (MBKM-T).

In the Blue Carbon Thematic MBKM activity, 83 IPB University students from the MSP S1 Study Programme in the seventh semester will gain knowledge and empirical experience for one semester in four locations, namely aquatic conservation areas (Pramuka Island, Tidung Island and Pari Island) and the Brebes mangrove ecotourism area.

“In order to design the MBKM-T Blue Carbon Guidebook, we have organised a hybrid focus group discussion (FGD). The FGD was held as well as the formalisation of collaboration with a number of partners,” said Prof Hefni Effendi, Chairman of the MSP Department at IPB University.

The partners include the DKI Jakarta Provincial Food Security, Marine and Agriculture Office (DKPKP), the Thousand Islands National Park Office, the Brebes Coastal Observer Community Group, the National Research and Innovation Agency’s Oceanographic Research Centre (BRIN) and the Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG PRL KKP). This activity also involved several universities such as Padjadjaran University, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Diponegoro University, Gadjah Mada University and Brawijaya University.

Partners positively welcomed the MBKM-T Blue Carbon activity and provided constructive suggestions in improving the preparation of the guidebook. While in the field, students will conduct research projects related to blue carbon. In this FGD, MSP IPB University lecturers and partners together formulated potential research topics that can be done by students.

In addition, students will also do internships at locations in accordance with the partner’s field of work to improve their skills in fisheries and marine affairs. Partners will play a role in mentoring, supervising and evaluating student activities.

“The benefits obtained from this MBKM are that students can convert activities into 20 semester credit units (SKS). In addition, students have the opportunity to conduct research for their final project, so that the target of graduating on time can be achieved,” said Dr Rahmat Kurnia, chairman of the MBKM-T Blue Carbon Guidebook drafting team.

In this forum, the guidebook has also been formally ratified and is ready to be used by students, driving lecturers and partners. The MSP Department of IPB University through this forum hopes that synergy and collaboration with partners will continue to be established in the future and not limited to MBKM, but in a broader context, namely the tri dharma of higher education and partner fields of work.

Blue carbon is one of the latest sciences that is closely related to coastal and marine ecosystems. Environmental issues that are currently of concern, such as increasing carbon emissions, global warming, air pollution, disaster mitigation, and conservation of coastal and marine habitats are very relevant to the topic of blue carbon and the science at MSP IPB University. Efforts to manage coastal and marine ecosystems are also in line with sustainable development goal (SDGs) 14, which is to conserve and sustainably utilise marine and ocean resources for sustainable development.

Sources: IPB News