The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the Department of Geography, held the fourth edition of the MIPA Talk Series on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at the Auditorium of the Pertamina Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory Building, FMIPA UI, Depok Campus. The event was organized in the format of an international joint lecture, bringing together students and academics from FMIPA UI and the Institute for Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany.
A total of 24 students from the University of Cologne took part in this joint lecture. Meanwhile, from FMIPA UI, the participants were 2024 cohort students of the Department of Geography who are currently enrolled in the course The Spatial Organization of Human Activities.
The event was opened by the Dean of FMIPA UI, Prof. Dede Djuhana, Ph.D., who emphasized the importance of inter-university collaboration in addressing global issues through the lens of science.
“We greatly appreciate the academic partnership between FMIPA UI and the University of Cologne, which has been established for nearly a decade. Through activities such as the MIPA Talk Series, we encourage the exchange of knowledge and the broadening of students’ global perspectives,” said Prof. Dede.
“Geography is a strategic discipline that is relevant to a wide range of real-world challenges, from environmental change to sustainable urban planning,” he added.
In this session, three speakers from the two institutions were present. Prof. Dr. Boris Braun from the University of Cologne presented a lecture entitled “Locational Theory and the Region – Older and Current Theories”. He explained how patterns of economic interaction are influenced by location, policy, and market factors, as well as how changes over time also shape these dynamics.
“From a geographical perspective, a place has a significant influence on the patterns of economic interaction that occur within it,” said Prof. Braun.
Meanwhile, students from the University of Cologne also attended presentations delivered by two professors from the Department of Geography, FMIPA UI: Prof. Dr. Tito Latif Indra, M.Si., who also serves as Vice Dean for Resources, Enterprise, and General Administration at FMIPA UI, and Prof. Dr. Dewi Susiloningtyas, M.Si., who currently serves as Student Affairs Manager at FMIPA UI.
Prof. Tito, an expert in Disaster Environmental Geography, discussed the topic “Hazards in Jakarta’s Coastal Area”, while Prof. Dewi, who specializes in Human Geography, Environment, and Coastal and Marine Natural Resource Management, presented “Urban Development in Jakarta’s Coastal Area”. Both addressed the various challenges faced by Jakarta’s coastal areas, ranging from disaster risks to environmental vulnerabilities.
The presentations also emphasized the importance of strengthening community capacity and institutional strategies in building coastal resilience, particularly in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The collaboration between FMIPA UI and the Institute for Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany, has been established since 2016. So far, the partnership has included public lectures, joint field courses, and collaborative research.
The event was also attended by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Budiawan, Vice Dean for Education, Research, and Student Affairs, and Dr. Hafid Setiadi, M.T., Head of the Department of Geography. Through the 4th MIPA Talk Series, both universities reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnership and creating a more open, globally minded learning environment for students.
