Monday, 16 June 2025 on 4:04pm
Bogor, 14 June 2025 – SEAMEO BIOTROP (Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Tropical Biology), a regional institution under the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), held a Scientific Popular Article Writing Workshop and Media Day from 12 to 14 June 2025. The event served as a strategic effort to strengthen science communication and disseminate research findings to the wider public, particularly educators and students at the primary and secondary levels.
Acting Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP, Elis Rosdiawati, opened the event by emphasizing the crucial role of media in ensuring that SEAMEO BIOTROP’s latest programs and research are accessible to the public. She also introduced the Centre’s flagship program, Eco-Education Tourism, which has attracted school visits from the Bogor area and is being adapted by a SEAMEO Regional Centre in the Philippines.
Deputy Director for Program, Doni Yusri, explained that the workshop aimed to help participants better understand how to craft impactful science-based content, whether in news articles, opinion pieces, or popular scientific essays. The workshop featured several guest speakers, including Hendarman, Senior Policy Analyst at Kemendikdasmen; Try Harijanto, senior journalist from Kompas; M. Zaid Wahyudi, science writer at Kompas; Rahmadi Rahmad, editor at Mongabay Indonesia; and Andrew Fangidae from the Public Communication Bureau of Kemendikdasmen.
During the writing clinic, participants received direct feedback on their article drafts from the speakers and editors of BIODivers, SEAMEO BIOTROP’s popular science magazine. The goal was to help participants revise their work for possible publication. BIODivers, first published in 2022, serves as a bridge between scientists and society by presenting research in a more accessible and engaging format. To date, it has released three volumes with five issues, publishing 36 articles that have been downloaded over 7,000 times and indexed in Crossref, Google Scholar, and Garuda.
The event concluded with participants expressing enthusiasm and appreciation, including a representative from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Marlita Sekarwangi, who shared her excitement about learning new skills in science communication. In addition to the writing workshop, SEAMEO BIOTROP also hosted a Media Day session to share updates on programs, innovations, and institutional milestones with media partners.
This workshop and Media Day reflect SEAMEO BIOTROP’s commitment to promoting inclusive science communication and strengthening media partnerships in support of science-based development.
Acting Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP, Elis Rosdiawati, opened the event by emphasizing the crucial role of media in ensuring that SEAMEO BIOTROP’s latest programs and research are accessible to the public. She also introduced the Centre’s flagship program, Eco-Education Tourism, which has attracted school visits from the Bogor area and is being adapted by a SEAMEO Regional Centre in the Philippines.
Deputy Director for Program, Doni Yusri, explained that the workshop aimed to help participants better understand how to craft impactful science-based content, whether in news articles, opinion pieces, or popular scientific essays. The workshop featured several guest speakers, including Hendarman, Senior Policy Analyst at Kemendikdasmen; Try Harijanto, senior journalist from Kompas; M. Zaid Wahyudi, science writer at Kompas; Rahmadi Rahmad, editor at Mongabay Indonesia; and Andrew Fangidae from the Public Communication Bureau of Kemendikdasmen.
During the writing clinic, participants received direct feedback on their article drafts from the speakers and editors of BIODivers, SEAMEO BIOTROP’s popular science magazine. The goal was to help participants revise their work for possible publication. BIODivers, first published in 2022, serves as a bridge between scientists and society by presenting research in a more accessible and engaging format. To date, it has released three volumes with five issues, publishing 36 articles that have been downloaded over 7,000 times and indexed in Crossref, Google Scholar, and Garuda.
The event concluded with participants expressing enthusiasm and appreciation, including a representative from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Marlita Sekarwangi, who shared her excitement about learning new skills in science communication. In addition to the writing workshop, SEAMEO BIOTROP also hosted a Media Day session to share updates on programs, innovations, and institutional milestones with media partners.
This workshop and Media Day reflect SEAMEO BIOTROP’s commitment to promoting inclusive science communication and strengthening media partnerships in support of science-based development.
