Agustin Dinda Prameswary, Jocelin Andiana, and M. Afriyanto students of the Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Jember angkatan 2019 completed the Independent Learning Partnership Internship Program Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) for 6 months at the Plant Conservation Center of Purwodadi Botanic Garden. “They have participated in an internship program which is based on a cooperation agreement, all of which have been prepared by the study program and faculty,” explained Vice Dean I of FMIPA UNEJ Drs. Siswoyo, M.Sc., Ph.D. It was further stated that the MBKM Partnership Internship Program is equivalent to taking 20 credits. To note, the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens as one of the work units of Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) previously offered the MBKM program in the form of a cooperation agreement. FMIPA UNEJ, which is concerned with the MBKM program, responded and stated it in a cooperation agreement with KR Purwodadi. The programs offered are Research Assistant and Biological Collection Curator. Interns will get mentoring facilities, co-working space, access to research facilities and plant collections and of course internet access. To note, FMIPA UNEJ in implementing MBKM has carried out several collaborations with agencies, state universities, and the private sector. Among them Pusat Sains dan Teknologi Akselerator (PSTA) BATAN, Pusat Penelitian Kopi dan Kakao Indonesia, RSD dr. Soebandi Jember, Bank Syariah Indonesia Jember Area, Lembaga Sertifikasi Profesi (LSP) as well as several state universities such as UNAIR, UNNES, UB, UIN Malang, UIN Jakarta, UNJA, and Udaya University Bali. “We facilitate our students to choose and take several BKP for MBKM program through a cooperation agreement,” said Siswoyo.

The MBKM program, especially internships which are converted into 20 credits, also gives students the opportunity to continue taking other courses in one semester. Agustin Dinda Prameswary, for example, from a total of 20 credits converted from the MBKM internship program also took 4 credits of non-internship courses. So that in this one semester, namely the odd semester of the 2021/2022 academic year, Agustin takes a total of 24 credits. Students of Biology Department, FMIPA UNEJ, in this odd semester also participated in an internship program at Balai Penelitian Tanaman Jeruk dan Buah Subtropika (Balitjestro) Batu City and Pusat Penelitian Kopi dan Kakao Indonesia (Puslitkoka) Jember apart from KR Purwodadi.

In addition to the MBKM internship program, several students of the Biology Department, FMIPA UNEJ also participated in other programs such as the MBKM Student Exchange Program at several PTN, Kampus Mengajar MBKM, Program Studi Independen PHP2D, International Credit Transfer (ICT) Program at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany, Program MBKM Luar Negeri Project DAAD at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany, Program Kredensial Mikro Mahasiswa Indonesia (KMMI), and Program Pertukaran Mahasiswa Merdeka in 2021. “We continue to convey MBKM program to students because it is one of the efforts to accelerate the final project period and will have an impact on the student’s study period in order to improve graduation standards” he concluded.