Yogyakarta, June 3, 2025 – The Faculty of Pharmacy at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), through the Community Service Program of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, is taking proactive steps to advance educational quality by organizing an Introduction to Digital Applications for Chemistry and Biology workshop. Aimed at high school chemistry and biology teachers in the Yogyakarta and Sleman regions, this training not only seeks to enhance technical skills but also aligns with efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This initiative directly supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by equipping educators with modern and relevant teaching methods, thereby improving the quality of science learning in schools. Furthermore, the introduction of digital applications in chemistry and biology contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by fostering digital literacy and preparing a tech-adaptive young generation. The training also supports SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by narrowing the educational quality gap across regions in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). This initiative also reflects the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), with the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy collaborating with the teaching community to collectively enhance human resource capacity in education.
The training is scheduled on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 07:30 AM to 01:00 PM WIB. Under the theme “Sharing Materials and Introducing Digital Applications for Chemistry and Biology Teachers in Yogyakarta City and Sleman Regency”, the event aims to broaden teachers’ understanding of scientific developments, particularly in pharmaceutical chemistry and molecular biology, and to bridge the gap between high school curricula and university-level material. It also aims to strengthen understanding and skills in chemistry and biology to support more interactive and applied learning in schools. A total of 62 teachers actively participated, including 32 chemistry teachers and 30 biology teachers from various schools in the region.
The event began with an opening session at the Auditorium of the Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences Learning Center (APSLC, 8th Floor), Faculty of Pharmacy, UGM. After the opening, participants were divided into two groups for the training sessions.
For Biology, the material session on CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapy will be delivered by Prof. Dr.rer.nat. apt. Adam Hermawan, S.Farm., M.Sc., offering insights into the latest gene-editing technologies and their applications in gene-based therapies. The practical session in biology will be led by Dr. rer. nat. apt. Raisatun Nisa Sugiyanto, M.Sc., focusing on training in the use of the digital application BioRender to enhance high school biology teaching. Through this BioRender training, biology teachers benefit by gaining skills in creating engaging and informative scientific images, diagrams, and illustrations for their lessons.
In the Chemistry session, Prof. Dr. apt. Abdul Rohman, M.Si. will present on chemical compound analysis using titration methods, guiding participants through the basic principles of titration and its application in school laboratory experiments. The practical session on digital applications in chemistry teaching will be led by Dr. apt. Hilda Ismail, M.Si., focuses on training teachers to digitally visualize the structure of a chemical compound using free applications such as MarvinSketch and ChemSketch, thereby improving classroom presentation and learning quality.
The training received positive feedback from participants, who found the materials highly relevant and useful for their teaching. Through this community service initiative, the Faculty of Pharmacy at UGM hopes to empower teachers with innovative teaching tools and strategies, ultimately inspiring students and boosting their interest in chemistry and biology in the digital era. (Kiki/HumasFA)
Contributor: Community Service Team of Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
