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Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) held a symposium with the theme ‘kick off meeting for top global university project’ in Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) on 18-19 March 2015. Four Indonesian universities were attended in this symposium, together with Kasersart University (Thailand), Ateneo de Manila University (The Philippines), Hanoi University of Science (Vietnam) and UC Davis, University of California (USA). Four Indonesian professor invited as representatives of Indonesian university in the symposium: Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA (Department of Biology IPB), Prof. Amarila Malik (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Indonesia), Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati (Rector of Gadjah Mada University), and Prof. Edy Meiyanto (Faculty of Pharmacy, Gadjah Mada University).

During discussion, Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA delivered brief summary of educational activities to cultivate global leaders in Bogor Agricultural University. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA  also held meeting with several researchers in NAIST to improve institutional cooperation between IPB and NAIST. Currently, Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA  has a research collaboration with Prof. (Emeritus) Akiho Yokota in genetic improvement of potato by using over-expression strategy of genes fructose bisphosphatase (FBPase) that involved in the Calvin cycle and gene ClRAN stolon formation.

Moreover, Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA and Prof. Hiroshi Takagi also held discussion about the opportunity to hold joint workshop of molecular biology on yeast in IPB. In the development of medicinal plants, Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA also sought cooperation with Prof. Shigehiko Kanaya of Computational Systems Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Information Science, NAIST.

Figure 1: Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA (center) visit the in vitro culture room in vitro in NAIST to perform chloroplast genetic engineering in Jala IPAM potato with genes FBPase / ClRAN accompanied by technicians, Dr. Taro Ogawa (left) and Ayumi Yonemitsu (right).

Figure 2: Prof. Dr. Ir. Suharsono DEA (IPB) and Prof. Kanaya (NAIST) discuss the opportunity of research collaboration.