Center for World Trade Studies (CWTS) UGM and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM held an Interactive Talk Show with the theme "Connecting Schools with the Adoption of Circular Economy" on Wednesday (7/12). The Talk Show took place at the West Atrium of FISIPOL UGM and was attended by four speakers: Julie B. Appelqvist (Head of Environmental Sector Cooperation, Embassy of Denmark in Indonesia), Drs. Muthoin, M.Si (Head of Agency for Regional Development of Salatiga), Dr. Nurhadi, S.Sos, M.Si. (Lecturer at the Department of Social Development and Welfare, FISIPOL UGM), and Dr. Junita Widiati Arfani (Coordinator of IGPA). The Talk Show is part of the Circular Economy Forum (CEF) within the UGM International Forum for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean Region.
Moderated by Suci Lestari Yuana, MA, lecturer at the Department of International Relations, FISIPOL UGM, the Talk Show began with a presentation by Julie B. Appelqvist on the development of the circular economy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Julie shared several strategies for promoting the circular economy at the primary education level, such as giving students the title of "waste heroes," initiating the concept of waste-free schools and modifying the curriculum to focus on practical application. Implementing the circular economy in the education environment will also be supported by policies and collaboration from local governments.
Representing the Deputy Mayor of Salatiga, Drs. Muthoin, M. Si, the Head of the Agency for Regional Development of Salatiga, discussed Salatiga's efforts to address the impacts of the pandemic through community economic recovery and waste management. Several practices aligned with the circular economy can be found in farmers' utilization of food waste and washing water as liquid fertilizer for farmers in Salatiga. In addition, Salatiga plans to allocate local government budgets to support green schools and the establishment of waste banks in each neighborhood (RW).
From an academic perspective, Dr. Nurhadi, S.Sos, M.Si emphasized the important role of education in instilling a culture of the circular economy. Dr. Nurhadi highlighted three functions of universities in maximizing this role: the campaign function, the research and development function, and the advocacy function.
The Talk Show continued with a presentation by Dr. Junita regarding the objectives and activities of IGPA or the Indonesia Green Principal Award. As a program supporting elementary and secondary school principals, IGPA is designed to institutionalize the practices and principles of the circular economy among children from an early age. IGPA has been held since early 2022 with the collaboration among educational institutions, research bodies, and industries and has participated by 33 school principals in two training cycles.
The Talk Show concluded with the announcement of the release of a book written by participating school principals in IGPA titled "Rediscovering the Pearl of Sustainability" and the presentation of recognition certificates to several schools. The recognition certificates were divided into four categories. First, the Knowledge Co-Production category was awarded to Aisyiyah Unggulan Gemolong Elementary School and Muhammadiyah Ketanggungan Elementary School. Second, the Outreach Program category was awarded to Muhammadiyah Program Unggulan Khusus Kottabarat Surakarta Elementary School and Muhammadiyah 2 Alternatif Kota Magelang Elementary School. Third, the Curriculum Design/Adoption category was awarded to Muhammadiyah Sudagaran and MI Muhammadiyah Ajibarang. Fourth, the Partnership Building category was awarded to Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga Elementary School.
