Japanese Students Participate in Thematic Community Service Program with UNISA Yogyakarta, Learning About Local Agriculture

 Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (UNISA) Yogyakarta has once again strengthened its international collaboration through a thematic community service program on agricultural technology involving Japanese students from Ibaraki University. Nakajima Shie, a student from Japan, arrived in Yogyakarta on August 17, 2025, and immediately interacted with UNISA Yogyakarta students and the local community in Bergan Village, Wijirejo, Bantul, for 10 days.

The presence of Nakajima Shie, or familiarly called Shie-san, is a tangible manifestation of global collaboration. She not only learned but also shared knowledge and cultural perspectives. One of the activities she participated in was a visit to the Yogyakarta City Agriculture and Food Service on August 22, 2025. There, Shie-san learned various techniques, ranging from tissue culture, banana acclimatization, to plant conservation.

“In Japan, I only knew Cavendish bananas, and seeing around 300 varieties of bananas here really broadened my horizons,” said Shie-san with admiration.

In addition, Shie-san also participated in vegetative propagation training open to the general public. In this training, UNISA Yogyakarta students shared their knowledge about stem cuttings on honeydew melons and the acclimatization of Cavendish banana seedlings. Vegetative propagation techniques were chosen because they are considered more efficient for maintaining the characteristics of the parent plant, especially for hybrid seeds that cannot be propagated through seeds.

Shie-san’s participation helped boost the enthusiasm of local students. Nizar Abdurrafi, a biotechnology student at UNISA Yogyakarta, said, “Shie-san’s presence made us more enthusiastic about learning and sharing. We realized that the knowledge we are learning can have a global impact.”

This Community Service Program also contributes significantly to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The seedling training supports SDG 2: Zero Hunger by promoting food security. This collaboration between universities is a tangible manifestation of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, while the transfer of knowledge is in line with SDG 4: Quality Education.