On 4–11 August 2025, The Academic and Research Collaboration between Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), Indonesia and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), has been held at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), Indonesia. It marked a significant milestone in advancing the collaborative initiatives outlined in the previously signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the two institutions. This program served as a tangible outcome of those agreements, focusing on deepening research cooperation, enhancing technical capabilities, and exploring innovative with academic and commercial potential.
Over the course of the week, participants engaged in a series of scholarly presentations, strategic discussions, and skill-building workshops. Academic sessions highlighted diverse research themes, including the potential of Indonesian herbal plants as anticancer agents, the antibacterial properties of Phyllanthus niruri, transcriptomic profiling of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) through RNA sequencing, applications of cancer-related bioinformatics from public databases, and the therapeutic promise of phytochemicals in oncology. The discussions also explored the regenerative potential of prophetic foods like date palm fruit and the complex lipid–virus interactions in SARS-CoV-2, illustrating the program’s multidisciplinary approach to modern healthcare challenges.
Practical laboratory sessions formed a key component of the event, held at Faculty of Pharmacy, UMS, equipping participants with critical skills in aseptic cell culture techniques, subculturing, cryopreservation, cell counting, and contamination control. Additional training covered PCR procedures and molecular docking using various tools ensuring methodological consistency and expanding the technical range for ongoing and future joint research projects. Complementing the academic and laboratory activities, the program also featured immersive field visits. On 7 August, delegates explored the Hortus Med Wellness Center, gaining insights into integrative wellness practices and the therapeutic application of medicinal plants.
The following day, 8 August, the team visited a herbal research plantation in Tawangmangu, a highland region known for its rich biodiversity, to assess potential research sites, sustainable sourcing opportunities, and community engagement possibilities. This collaboration week not only demonstrated the successful execution of the MoU and MoA but also reinforced the shared commitment of UMS and USIM to creating impactful, research-driven outcomes in herbal-based therapeutics, molecular biology, and translational healthcare innovation.