The Molecular Pathology research group at the University led by Professor Mohammad Ilyas has delivered a three-day Cancer Precision Medicine Training to nearly 60 academics from various Indonesian institutions in Yogyakarta in March 2019. Fully supported by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (RISTEKDIKTI) and co-led by the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), the training showcased the University as a leading partner in the UK on cancer research and education.
Addressing the audience at the training, Professor Ali Ghufron Mukti, Director General of Resources at RISTEKDIKTI said: ‘’Precision medicine is of paramount importance because it can detect the characteristics of individual disease. ” Entering the era of industry 4.0, Indonesia requires the advanced technology and drug production which will adapt to individual patient's needs. In light of these new developments, the Ministry has invested in technological innovation and trained health professionals with a strategic view of implementing precision diagnosis and treatment widely. Future short courses in Nottingham to include more practically focused and hands on activities could also be in place.
During this visit, the Nottingham team has also established links with University of Muhammadiyah Purwokerto as well as industrial partners such as the stem cells and cancer Institute of Kalbe Farma, Tbk. These institutions have expressed an interest in collaboration with Nottingham in the near future which may include a joint research proposal, capacity building programmes such as visiting academics and postgraduate scholarships.
Professor Ilyas who led the training commented: ‘’We were delighted to be able to share our expertise with our colleagues from Indonesia as well as learning about their innovations and developments. The engagement of industrial collaborators at the training course created an excellent environment for the free flow of information between industry and academia. This will help to harness Industry 4.0 for the maximum benefit of the population.”
Dr Bagus Muljadi, Director of Indonesian Doctoral Training Partnership, said: ‘’This training is part of our collaborative effort with the Indonesian government in promoting knowledge exchange. With this we both showcase our excellent capacities in precision medicine, and set an example of how a UK higher education institution can collaborate with government agencies in transferring knowledge across the globe.”
Posted on Tuesday 2nd April 2019