In December 2023, Diponegoro University appointed 32 professors. “The aim of awarding the title of professor is to appreciate the performance of the entire UNDIP academic community in the development of science. On the other hand, the awarding of this title is also used as a reminder for all appointed professors to maintain their integrity and good name,” said Prof. Dr. Yos Johan Utama, S.H., M.Hum., Rector of Diponegoro University.
The three professors were inaugurated on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 08.00 WIB at the Prof. Soedarto, S.H. Building, Tembalang. They were Prof. Sugiharto, S.Pt., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences); Prof. Dr. Titik Ekowati, M.T., Ph.D. (Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences); and Prof. Hanifah Maher Denny, S.K.M., M.P.H., Ph.D. (Faculty of Public Health).
Prof. Sugiharto, S.Pt., M.Sc., Ph.D., was appointed as a professor in the field of animal physiology at Diponegoro University. He delivered his speech entitled “Optimizing the Physiological Condition of Poultry Through Nutritive Interventions After Violations of Feed Additive Antibiotics.” This presentation focuses on the development of new methods after the stipulation of Minister of Agriculture Regulation Number 14 of 2017 concerning the prohibition of the use of Antibiotic Growth Promoter (AGP), which resulted in a decrease in poultry productivity. He said, “The microbial population in the intestine can influence the modulation of the immune system, antioxidant status, the development of lymphoid tissues and organs, the intestinal ecosystem and intestinal function, and the metabolism of the poultry body.”
After some research, Prof. Sugiharto, S.Pt., M.Sc., Ph.D., and the team found a derivative method of nutritional intervention, namely a combination of feed additives with other nutritional components. This step was taken because there are still many studies that prove the inconsistency of nutritional intervention methods. He said, “There are still studies that find inconsistencies in nutritional interventions on the physiological condition of birds. It was found that giving organic acids or probiotics did not affect the physiological condition of the birds.” The combination of feed additives with other nutritional components is a corrective step initiated by Prof. Sugiharto, S.Pt., M.Sc., Ph.D. “The combination of feed additives has been proven to create synergy between them so that it can be more effective in improving intestinal health and poultry productivity than using individual ingredients,” he added.
Furthermore, the inauguration speech was delivered by a Professor of the Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences in the field of Agricultural Business, Prof. Dr. Titik Ekowati, M.T., Ph.D., with the topic “Escalation of Farmers’ Welfare Through Sustainable Agricultural Business Transformation.” In her speech, she explained the critical role of institutions in achieving a sustainable agricultural system. “Implementation of agricultural business activities cannot be separated from the role of institutions. Social institutions, interactions between farmers and groups, and economic institutions are related to the provision of market production facilities. Hence, the use of production facilities can be efficient, and ultimately, hopes are achieved related to farmers’ welfare,” she said. Prof. Dr. Titik Ekowati, M.T., Ph.D., also conveyed the four institutional aspects needed to achieve sustainable agriculture, namely land institutions, production facilities institutions, capital institutions, and marketing institutions. Apart from that, to achieve sustainable agriculture, she explained that there are three pillars, namely economic aspects, environmental aspects, and social aspects.
Sustainable agriculture has a positive effect on rice commodities, which increases production yields from 8.8 tons per hectare/season with a value of 25 million rupiah to 9.5 tons per hectare/season with a value of 28 million rupiah. “Empirical studies of the concept of sustainable agriculture show the results that providing farmers with access to agricultural resources and structuring land ownership and institutions provides land productivity and also increases welfare income, which results are achieved between 15-20%. To conclude the empirical results of sustainable agricultural transformation, there are 4 models: environmental, technological, socio-economic, and institutional,” said Prof. Dr. Titik Ekowati, M.T., Ph.D.
Furthermore, the inauguration speech was delivered by Prof. Hanifa Maher Denny, S.K.M., MPH, Ph.D., Professor in the field of Women’s Occupational Health. She gave an inauguration speech with the title, “Dynamics of Women’s Workforce: Balance Between Work, Life and Health.” The background to this topic is the high number of female workers in Indonesia, but high levels of gender bias, sexual violence and discrimination against women in the world of work accompany this. In her speech, Prof. Hanifa Maher Denny, S.K.M., MPH, Ph.D., explained that the challenge for women in the world of work is balancing life, work and health. “Working women face triple burden syndrome, the syndrome of being a working woman who has to be busy carrying responsibilities, the syndrome of being a mother, and the syndrome of being a social member who has to join a household group and so on, so for that we have to address the triple burden syndrome that men must also participate,” she said.
Threats to women’s reproductive health often occur in the work environment. “Exposure to pesticides and working night shifts during pregnancy can affect the fetus in the womb,” she explained. She mentioned not only physical threats but also mental threats. The threat is also related to women’s monthly cycles. For this reason, according to Prof. Hanifa, providing motivation and encouragement for women to believe in their potential and mental health support, including access to counseling services and initiatives to promote work-life balance and healthy lifestyles, are integral components in advancing the overall well-being of the female workforce. (Boby-Public Relations)
