The Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, organized a Public Lecture for students of the Master’s Programs in Agronomy and Plant Breeding on Friday, 31 October 2025, held at Venture Room AGLC, 6th Floor. The event featured two main speakers: Riska Ayu Purnamasari, S.Si., M.Agr.Sc., Ph.D., Lecturer at the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture UGM, and Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Maulana, S.Hut., M.Sc., Lecturer at the Department of Plant Pests and Diseases, Faculty of Agriculture UGM.
In the first session, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Maulana delivered a lecture entitled “Research Design and Data Management.” The session covered fundamental principles of formulating research questions, designing valid experimental frameworks, and emphasizing the importance of replication, randomization, and variable control. He also highlighted the role of systematic data management in improving analytical accuracy and research reproducibility. In the era of big data, proficiency in analytical tools such as R and Python has become an essential skill for researchers.
The second session, presented by Dr. Riska Ayu Purnamasari, focused on “Creating Research Ideas Using Tools and Publication.” She emphasized the effective use of research-support platforms such as Zotero, Elicit, Research Rabbit, and artificial intelligence applications to assist in topic identification, literature exploration, and reference management. Despite the efficiency offered by AI technologies, she stressed that their use must be ethical, critically verified, and should not replace the researcher’s role in generating scientific ideas.
In conclusion, this activity contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), by strengthening research capacity and promoting the integration of technology in higher education.
Author: Mareta Aulia Putri
Editor: Yudha Pria Wibawa
Photo: Department of Agronomy