Prof. Dr. Dieter Hanelt and Dr. Stefan Sebök organised international algae workshop in Indonesia

3 July 2023, by Website Team Biologie

Photo: UHH

The international workshop took place from June 15th, 2023, to June 16th, 2023, at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science at Diponegoro University in Indonesia. Prof. Dr. Dieter Hanelt and Dr. Stefan Sebök, as the organizers of the workshop and representatives of UHH, traveled to Indonesia.

With the support of the Next Generation Partnerships (NGP) program of the Universität Hamburg, a workshop on the topic "Challenges and objectives of seaweed R&D with focus on country-specific peculiarities in relation to United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals" was conducted by the members of the Department of Aquatic Ecophysiology/Phycology at Diponegoro University, an excellence university located in Semarang, Java, Indonesia.

At the beginning, BRIN - National Research and Innovation Agency Indonesia, the largest research facility located in Jakarta, was visited. The UHH organizers had discussions with several members of the Department of Microbiology and Ecology regarding similarities and differences in research and development and visited the local research facility. On the 14th, they proceeded to Semarang, where the workshop began the next day. Initially, a visit to a local microalgae farm was organized by the hosts at Diponegoro University. Additionally, a community center, where macroalgae products are produced, was visited. On June 15th and 16th the presentations of international speakers took place, both online and in person, with participants from Morocco, Tanzania, Sweden, Denmark, Indonesia, Germany, and the Philippines. Approximately 60 participants attended in person, while around 20 participated online. The workshop was inaugurated with welcoming remarks from the Vice President of Diponegoro University, Prof. Hanelt (UHH), and Dr. Guido Schnieders, the Indonesian director of DAAD, as the workshop was also held in collaboration with a DAAD alumni meeting. Core members of the workshop were Dr. Rahmania Admirasari (BRIN), Agus Trianto (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science), and Dr. A.B. Susanto (Diponegoro University), as well as members from UHH and several DAAD alumni. Two of the local organizers completed their PhDs with the support of DAAD at IPM and one at the University of Bremen. In the evening, the core members continued the discussion on possible international research and development projects. In the morning of June 17th, the UHH members commenced their return journey to Germany.

The main scientific topics for future cooperation and research and development were based on the content presented by the international speakers and discussed by the core members of the workshop and the audience. They addressed issues, challenges, and opportunities related to microalgae and seaweeds in the context of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the potential impacts of global climate change.

In conclusion, further collaboration was agreed upon with the following scientists, institutions, and companies, including student and PhD exchange programs, as well as international research and development projects:

• Dr. rer. nat. A.B. Susanto - Diponegoro University, Semarang
• Dr. rer. nat. Rahmania Admirasari - National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta
• Dr. Eng. Sapto Andriyono - University Airlangga, Surabaya
• Dr. rer. nat. Fahrurrozi Izzuddin - National Research and Innovation Agency, Lombok
• Mr. Rudy Budianto H - CEO of Manaj
• Mrs. S.Si Falasifah - CEO von Alga Bioteknologika Indonesia, Semarang