Yogyakarta, April 21, 2026 — The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (DTPB), Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), welcomed an academic visit from a world-renowned postharvest technology expert, Professor Bart Nicolai from KU Leuven, Belgium. The visit, held from April 13–17, 2026, was supported by the Joint Supervision (JS) funding scheme, aiming to strengthen international research collaboration and enhance cross-institutional academic supervision.
On April 14, 2026, Professor Bart Nicolai served as a keynote speaker in the FTP UGM Short Course 2026. Carrying the overarching theme “Nature X ScienceTech Innovation: Co-Creating Sustainable Agro-Food Industry and Climate Solutions for a Resilient Planet,” he delivered a lecture titled “Biofluidics in Postharvest & Cold Chain: Cutting Food Loss and Climate Footprint.” The session highlighted the role of cold chain technologies in improving efficiency, reducing postharvest losses, and minimizing environmental impact.
Academic Engagement and Research Collaboration
As part of the academic visit of Professor Bart Nicolai, several strategic activities were conducted within DTPB. On April 14, 2026, a formal academic discussion was held with the department leadership to explore opportunities for research development and institutional collaboration.
Further engagement took place on April 16, 2026, through a sharing session with the Laboratory of Food and Postharvest Engineering. The discussion focused on field research within the Food and Postharvest Engineering research group, including an introduction to the characteristics of Indonesia’s tropical fruits.
On the same day, Professor Bart Nicolai also participated as an external examiner in a graduate thesis defense of a postgraduate student, Halimatus Sadiya, reinforcing academic quality assurance through international involvement.
Field Visit and Cultural Exposure
On April 15, 2026, Professor Bart Nicolai visited several locations in Yogyakarta accompanied by students from the Computer-aided Postharvest Technology (CaPT) research group. The visit included observations of local agricultural commodities at Omah Salak, exploration of the Merapi area (Bunker Kaliadem and Mbah Maridjan Museum), and a cultural visit to Borobudur Temple.
Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The academic visit of Professor Bart Nicolai to UGM contributes to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
- SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Enhancing postharvest handling research to support food security
- SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Advancing technological innovation through international collaboration
- SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Promoting efficient and sustainable food systems
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Strengthening global partnerships between UGM and KU Leuven
The academic visit, which concluded on April 17, 2026, marks a significant step in expanding international collaboration networks and advancing agricultural technology innovation within the Faculty of Agricultural Technology UGM.
