SmartAgri Holds Research Kick Off, Farewell, and Fellowship Evening at Lawang Pitu Turgo

Sleman, August 23, 2026 – Smart Agriculture Research Center (SmartAgri) held a series of activities including research kick off, graduation celebration for SmartAgri 2025 researchers, farewell, and fellowship evening on August 22–23, 2026 at Villa Lawang Pitu, Turgo, Sleman. The activities were attended by SmartAgri 2025 researchers, SmartAgri 2026 researchers, research assistants, and the SmartAgri team as part of efforts to strengthen relationships among members while welcoming the beginning of the research series. In addition to serving as a gathering, the activities included various sessions for sharing experiences, discussions, and informal activities that encouraged closer communication among participants.

Before the series of events began, the SmartAgri research team presented a souvenir to the mother of Mas Rangga as a token of gratitude for the opportunity and willingness to provide Villa Lawang Pitu as the venue for the fellowship evening. The presentation was a form of appreciation from the SmartAgri team for the support provided so that the activities could take place in a comfortable and intimate atmosphere. The series of activities then began with preparations for dinner conducted cooperatively by all participants. After all dishes were ready, participants had dinner together before continuing with the main program. The togetherness in preparing and enjoying dinner was an important part of building a family atmosphere from the beginning of the activities.

The event was opened with remarks from Ir. Andri Prima Nugroho, S.T.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., IPU., ASEAN Eng., APEC Eng., Coordinator of the SmartAgri Team. In his remarks, he congratulated the SmartAgri 2025 researchers who had completed their studies and research. He also warmly welcomed the newly joined SmartAgri 2026 researchers and encouraged all participants to continue building a spirit of learning, collaboration, and developing beneficial research.

The series of activities continued with a sharing session with Widi Kuntara Muladi Putra, S.T., who currently works at the Ministry of Public Works with expertise in irrigation. In addition to his professional duties, Widi is also pursuing a master's degree at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at UGM and is one of the SmartAgri researchers. In this session, participants had extensive discussions about career opportunities in agricultural engineering and Widi's journey in building a career and developing his field of expertise. The discussion was interactive with many questions from participants, particularly regarding work experience, competency development, and career opportunities in agricultural engineering.

The next activity included a sharing session with SmartAgri 2025 researchers who had recently completed their studies. The graduates took turns sharing their experiences, challenges, and struggles during the completion of their research and undergraduate studies. These experiences became learning opportunities for SmartAgri 2026 researchers who are beginning their research journey and served as encouragement to face various challenges during the study and research process.

The sense of togetherness continued through a farewell session with Fadel Arya Pradana, S.Si., one of the SmartAgri research assistants who has supported various research activities since 2022. On this occasion, Fadel bid farewell as he will pursue a master's degree in South Korea. This farewell became a moment to recall Fadel's contributions and the togetherness that had developed during his time as part of the SmartAgri team, while offering support for the academic path he will take.

The series of activities continued until approximately 2:30 a.m. After the main program concluded, some participants continued the activities by hiking to Puncak Turgo as part of closing the fellowship evening with a shared experience in the open air. This activity provided an ending that further strengthened the togetherness among SmartAgri researchers and team members.

The following afternoon, participants who remained at the location continued the activities by visiting one of the Turgo coffee producers located not far from Villa Lawang Pitu. Participants had the opportunity to taste Turgo coffee directly while learning about the coffee products produced by the local community. This activity provided an additional experience for participants to learn about the local potential in the Turgo area.

Through this series of research kick off, graduation celebration, farewell, and fellowship evening, SmartAgri not only strengthened relationships among members but also created a space for sharing experiences and broadening perspectives on research and career development. These activities are expected to serve as a good beginning for SmartAgri 2026 researchers in conducting research while maintaining the culture of collaboration and mutual support that has developed within SmartAgri. The spirit of learning, collaboration, and competency development demonstrated in these activities is also aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through strengthening learning and experience sharing among generations of researchers, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through strengthening cooperation and networks among team members. Furthermore, the introduction of Turgo's local coffee potential also supports the spirit of developing community-based economics drawing on local potential as part of efforts to build sustainable activities and provide broader benefits.