KIOTEC Strengthens Marine Talent Capacity Through Water Quality Assessment Training

The four-day intensive training brought together 40 KIOTEC Master’s Scholarship recipients from nine partner universities across Indonesia: Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), IPB University, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Universitas Pattimura (UNPATTI), Universitas Hasanuddin (UNHAS), Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD), Universitas Brawijaya (UB), and Universitas Udayana (UNUD). The program was designed to equip participants with practical technical skills while strengthening their capacity to develop evidence-based recommendations for water quality management through scientific research and data analysis.

Adopting a field-to-policy approach, this edition of the Marine Survey Equipment Training (MSET) focused on water quality assessment through a comprehensive learning process spanning field sampling, laboratory analysis, and environmental data processing and interpretation. Participants gained hands-on experience using a range of scientific instruments, including Niskin bottles for water sampling, the WiMO CTD for measuring key physical water parameters, and a UV–Vis spectrophotometer for nutrient analysis.

The MSET programme concluded with the Awardee Seminar, which was attended by Yanti Permatasari, Assistant Deputy for Enhancing the Competitiveness of Marine Resources at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, and Dr. Lilly Aprilya Pregiwati, Secretary of BPPSDMKP, through video remarks. Both emphasized the importance of strengthening marine human resource capacity as a long-term investment to support sustainable marine resource management and Indonesia’s maritime development. During the seminar, scholarship awardees also presented their thesis research proposals, which were directly assessed by seven professors from Pukyong National University (PKNU), Republic of Korea, as part of efforts to enhance academic capacity and the quality of marine research.

Through the continued implementation of the Marine Survey Equipment Training (MSET), the KIOTEC ODA Project continues to strengthen collaboration between the Republic of Korea and Indonesia in advancing marine human resource capacity. The program represents a tangible outcome of the two countries' Official Development Assistance (ODA) partnership, equipping participants with practical technical competencies while fostering the application of science as a foundation for evidence-based and sustainable ocean management. As part of KIOTEC's long-term commitment to ocean capacity development, the initiative contributes to building a new generation of skilled ocean professionals capable of addressing Indonesia's evolving marine challenges through science, innovation, and international collaboration.