The College of Public Health at National Taiwan University (NTU) has been collaborating with the Faculty of Public Health of Diponegoro University since 2019. The College of Public Health, National Taiwan University (NTU) sent lecturers and students to Indonesia to conduct collaborative research on rickettsia in 2020. During the year, the academic collaboration continued by inviting Dr. Kun-Hsien Tsai to be one of the speakers at the biennial International Conference of Public Health on Tropical and Coastal Development (ICOPH-TCD).
The academic collaboration continues to be implemented in terms of scientific meetings such as those held in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Dr. Kun-Hsien Tsai was re-invited to be one of the speakers at the International Conference of Public Health on Tropical and Coastal Development (ICOPH-TCD) held that year. In addition, in the following year, 2023, Dr. Kun-Hsien Tsai was also one of the speakers at the 5th Summer Course Program Community Participation of Public Health ‘Public Health Coping and Adaptation Response to Climate Change in Coastal Areas’ with the topic presented, namely Impact of Climate Change on Vector Borne Disease. Similarly, Academic Conferences were also held at NTU in 2021, 2022, and 2023 inviting several lecturers from the Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University as the speakers. The topic for 2022 was Environmental Health and Infectious Diseases, and the Southeast Asian researchers were invited to deliver online presentations. In 2023, extending the theme from 2022, internationally recognised scholars and younger researchers from Southeast Asia were invited to share their work, and a student competition was held. In 2024, the theme was widened to covers environmental health issues such as climate change and One Health, jointly organised by the Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and the Global Health Program.
From left to right: Ms. Nissa Kusariana, SKM, M.Kes, Dr. Triwibowo Ambar Garjito, Dean Shou-Hsia Cheng, Dean Budiyono, and Director Kun-Hsien Tsai
This year, the College of Public Health at National Taiwan University (NTU) and the Faculty of Public Health at Diponegoro University collaboratively organised a hybrid in-person and online bilateral academic conference. This year’s conference signed the first hands-on event since the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasising global health challenges and environmental sustainability.
Dean Budiyono giving a presentation
The 2024 conference invited Dr. Budiyono, SKM, M.Kes, Ms. Nissa Kusariana, SKM, M.Kes, and Dr Triwibowo Ambar Garjito in person to Taiwan to share their research insights. Dr. Ir. Martini, M.Kes and Dr. Ir. Mursid Raharjo, M.Si were also invited online as speakers. The conference was also broadcast live to the Faculty of Public Health at Diponegoro University, where approximately 185 faculty members and students have participated both in person and online.
Dean Shou-Hsia Cheng delivered the speech
Dean Shou-Hsia Cheng, Dean Budiyono, and Director Kun-Hsien Tsai addressed the first day. The conference welcomed five researchers from National Taiwan University (NTU) and five researchers from Indonesia to jointly share their research results. On the same day, Dr. Mursid Raharjo, Dr. Triwibowo Ambar Garjito, Dr. Martini, and Ms. Nissa Kusariana brought their insights on environmental health issues such as climate change and drinking water supply systems, Japanese encephalitis control, malaria control, and filariasis transmission, in endemic areas, to the participants from Taiwan and Indonesia. The participants actively engaged by frequently asking questions.
Director Kun-Hsien Tsai delivered the speech
Dr. Triwibowo Ambar Garjito giving a presentation
During the meeting, Director Chang-Fu Wu, Dr. Hsiao-Yu Yang, Dr. Chen-Yu Liu from the Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and Deputy Researcher Tsai-Ying Yen, Assistant Researcher Han-Xuan Chung from the Centers for Disease Control shared their research on PM2.5, heat hazards, epigenetics, wastewater epidemiology, and pesticide resistance genes with Indonesian and Taiwan students.
Ms.Nissa Kusariana giving a presentation
After the sharing of research findings between the two parties, College of Public Health NTU and Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University, the event was followed by a workshop on laboratories. During the laboratory visit, representatives of the Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University were briefly introduced to several laboratories in the College of Public Health, National Taiwan University (NTU) including Vector-borne Infectious Disease Laboratory
From left to right: Director Kun-Hsien Tsai, Dean Budiyono, Dr. Triwibowo Ambar Garjito, Ms. Nissa Kusariana
New investigators as well as highly recommended master’s and doctoral candidates presented their research findings on the second day, in which Muh. Fauzi, PhD from the Department of Epidemiology and Entomology, Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University was one of the moderators of the session. The wide range of study topics included comprehensive and approachable examinations of environmental sustainability and global health challenges. The program aimed to improve understanding of research efforts by providing an introduction and practical sessions on tropical medicine research. It also provided Indonesian scholars with laboratory visits and experience exchanges on environmental health research approaches.
The objective of this year’s conference is to provide a framework for cooperative research through in-depth conversations and exchanges. Through the development of mutually beneficial ties, the conference hopes to draw students to study in Taiwan or participate in international internship programs. In the future, there is hoped to progressively increase teaching and research cooperation in the areas of environmental health, occupational health, and global health thanks to a solid and established tropical medicine research relationship between NTU and Indonesian universities.
Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University members and College of Public Health, NTU members