The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), through the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, in collaboration with the Indonesia One Health University Network (INDOHUN) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), held the Final Report Presentation and Closing of the USAID One Health Workforce Next Generation (OHW-NG) Project on October 16, 2024, in Jakarta. The event, which took place in the Graha Utama Room of Building A, Kemendikbudristekdikti, was attended by the Director General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Haris, M.Sc. (virtually), the Acting Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Prof. Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie, Ph.D., INDOHUN Coordinator, Prof. dr. Agus Suwandono, MPH., Dr.PH., Deputy Health Director of USAID Indonesia, Sara Heydari, and the Coordinators of One Health Collaborating Centers (OHCC) from across Indonesia, as well as several key guests from various sectors concerned with One Health.

The OHW-NG project was carried out with the aim of producing human resources with competencies in three main sectors: public health, animal health, and environmental health, including wildlife. In his remarks, the Director General of Higher Education noted the significant impact of this multi-party collaboration in One Health activities, especially in Indonesia’s higher education sector. “Over the five years of implementation, this project has generated various programs involving the academic community, local governments, industries, and society. Notably, it has increased the number of graduates competent in the One Health field and established a collaborative network among various stakeholders,” said Prof. Abdul Haris.

INDOHUN Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Agus Suwandono, revealed that the One Health program is now being implemented in 20 universities involving 32 faculties. He emphasized that One Health has become increasingly important in education worldwide. “One Health is not just a course but a vital skill that includes coordination, communication, collaboration, and participatory management,” he said.

Acting Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Prof. Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie, Ph.D., presented a certificate of appreciation to the Head of CENTROVETS-OHCC USK, Drh. Teuku Reza Ferasyi, MSc., Ph.D., accompanied by the Coordinator of INDOHUN and the Deputy Health Director of USAID Indonesia.

During the event, recognition was also given to eight OHCCs from across Indonesia. One of them was the Center for Tropical Veterinary Studies-One Health Collaboration Center (CENTROVETS-OHCC) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Universitas Syiah Kuala (FVM USK). The eight OHCCs were recognized by Kemendikbudristek, USAID, and INDOHUN for their role and contribution in strengthening the implementation of One Health in Indonesia through the role of higher education institutions. The certificates of appreciation were presented by the Acting Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Prof. Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie, Ph.D., to the coordinators of the OHCCs, including those from USK, IPB University, UGM, UNAIR, UNUD, UNMUL, UNHAS, and UNCEN.

The Rector of Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), Prof. Dr. Ir. Marwan, congratulated CENTROVETS-OHCC of FVM USK on their achievement. The Rector expressed hope that the successful One Health activities, including the One Health Student Club (OHSC), would be sustained and continued. “USK will provide full support for programs to strengthen One Health understanding and skills both in Aceh, in particular, and Sumatra, in general, as this issue has gained global attention in preparing steps to face future pandemics,” said the Rector.

The Head of CENTROVETS-OHCC, Drh. Teuku Reza Ferasyi, MSc., Ph.D., expressed pride and gratitude for the recognition. “This award is a recognition of the hard work of the CENTROVETS-OHCC team, supported by the leadership of USK and LPPM USK, as well as all internal and external stakeholders of USK, in supporting the availability of One Health human resources with capacities suited to the needs in Aceh. Hopefully, everything that has been achieved so far will serve as a foundation for further activities that will have a broader impact,” said Reza, who is also the Dean of FVM USK.

The OHW-NG Close Out event concluded with a presentation and discussion themed “Strengthening Human Resources Capacity for Sustainable One Health Through Cross-Sector Coordination, Communication, and Collaboration for National Security and Health.” The discussion resulted in several recommendations for strengthening One Health human resources capacity in Indonesia in the future.