The Department of Biochemistry is one of the youngest departments in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB, located in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, to be precise, on the Dramaga Campus of IPB, Jl. Tanjung, Biochemistry Building. The Department of Biochemistry was organized based on the Decree of the Chancellor of IPB No.180/K13.12.1/PP/2001, with the mandate “Develop Basic Science, Concepts and Methods in the Field of Biochemistry”.
The Biochemistry Department currently organizes two academic education programs, the Bachelor of Biochemistry and Master of Biochemistry programs. The implementation of the Undergraduate Program in the Department of Biochemistry is carried out with permission from the Directorate General of Higher Education by Decree of the Directorate General of Higher Education Number: 999999 dated 21-09-2007. Until now, the Undergraduate Program in the Department of Biochemistry has carried out one accreditation process, namely in 2023 which is valid until 2028, with a UNGGUL grade qualification by LAMSAMA, based on Decree Number: 089/SK/LAMSAMA/Akred/S/IX/2023. Based on Higher Education Evaluation data (2012), the Undergraduate Program in the Department of Biochemistry is the only Undergraduate Program in biochemistry held in Indonesia. Meanwhile, for the Postgraduate program, the Department of Biochemistry organizes the Biochemistry Masters Program with A accreditation.
History
In terms of history, the Department of Biochemistry is not a new department at IPB because this department has existed since the inception of IPB. At that time the Department of Biochemistry was under the administration of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM). The job is to organize biochemistry education, both for FVM students and undergraduate students from several other departments at IPB such as the Department of Food Technology & Nutrition (Faculty of Agricultural Technology & Mechanization), the Department of Community Nutrition (Faculty of Agriculture), and the Faculty of Animal Husbandry. At the postgraduate level, experience in managing the Masters’s program began in 1978 as the Biochemistry Subprogram under the Biology Study Program at the Postgraduate School of IPB. Then in 1980, the Biochemistry Subprogram opened a Doctoral Program.
The arrangement of work units at IPB in the 1980s made the Department of Biochemistry of FVM was merged with the Chemistry Section of the Department of Science, Faculty of Agriculture to become the Department of Chemistry (Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture No. 0546 dated 8 December 1983). Initially, the biochemistry lecturers served lectures for various study programs/departments at IPB that required biochemistry as a basic subject, both at the bachelor’s level and at the postgraduate level. It was only later in 1988/1989 that the Department of Chemistry opened the Undergraduate Chemistry Study Program which also included biochemistry courses in its curriculum and the Biochemistry Laboratory was responsible for providing various biochemistry elective courses for Undergraduate Chemistry students with an interest in biochemical research.
In the mid-1990s, the return of several biochemistry teaching staff from their postgraduate/doctoral studies abroad (United States, France, Australia) supported the development of biochemistry as a scientific unit at IPB. Moreover, a few years earlier, experts in biochemistry had also agreed on the need for biochemical disciplines at IPB as a basis for developing agricultural science competencies. Based on the high interest of students and sufficient staff qualifications, in addition to anticipating developments in the field of science and technology in Indonesia and the world that are entering the era of biotechnology in the 21st century, in 1997 the Biochemistry work unit at the Chemistry Department, FMIPA IPB submitted a proposal for the establishment of a Biochemistry Study Program for undergraduate and postgraduate levels to the Institute for the Study of Educational Development (LP3)-IPB. This proposal was realized by the acceptance of batch I students for the Bachelor Degree Program in Biochemistry Study Program in the 1999/2000 academic year. The establishment of the Undergraduate Biochemistry Study Program was ratified by the Decree of the Rector of IPB No. 180/K13.12.1/PP/2001 while waiting for registration at the Director General of Higher Education. Officially the name of the Bachelor’s Biochemistry Study Program was listed on the USMI line of IPB’s new student screening sheet for the 2000/2001 student admission year. In the 2001/2002 new student admissions, the Bachelor’s Biochemistry Study Program began accepting prospective students from the SPMB 2 pathway. The Master’s Biochemistry Study Program opened in the 2000/2001 academic year and accepted students from academics and practitioners.
Until the end of 2004, the Biochemistry Study Program was organized by the Biochemistry Work Unit under the Chemistry Department, the Faculty of MIPA IPB. In terms of personnel administration, coordination by the Head of the Chemistry Department is carried out through the Head of the Biochemistry Work Unit who acts as the Head of the Scientific Laboratory. Meanwhile, the management of the study program was carried out by the Head and Secretary of the Biochemistry Study Program who acted as an educational commission and was responsible for organizing academic activities. oriented and walk independently. The limited role of the Head of the Chemistry Department due to limited funds and various activities also has an impact on hampering the development of the Biochemistry unit in terms of its educational facilities and reduces the motivation of the teaching staff to take part in their work unit. Several important matters related to the implementation of the study program were not followed up, among which the very important thing was the registration for the establishment and the accreditation status of the study program which had not yet been processed further.
In the context of structuring the organization and departments at IPB, in 2005 the Biochemistry Study Program was developed into one of the new departments at IPB. With this new organizational system, the Department of Biochemistry is included in the SADAR system implemented by IPB, namely the centralization of administrative activities at the head office and decentralization of academic and research in the department (and study center). Within this framework, the department is expected to become the spearhead of academic and research administration. Therefore, the Head of the Department, who is nominated and elected through elections at the departmental level, as well as the Secretary for the Department, who is proposed by the Head of the Department, is responsible to the Chancellor for the implementation of all tri dharma activities of higher education that have been planned and included in the document of Annual Work Plan and Budget (RKAT) of Department. Other administrative activities are still carried out in stages and coordination with the Faculty. It is hoped that the new organizational system of IPB will, among other things: be able to develop IPB which is result-oriented, able to make the most of its resources, increase the productivity of its human resources, and be responsive to internal and external needs.
Based on IPB Chancellor’s Decree No. 001/K13/PP/2005 regarding organizational management within IPB, in 2005 the management of the study program (S1 and S2) of Biochemistry was gradually handled by the Department of Biochemistry which also belongs to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Therefore, through the new department, efforts will be made to arrange accreditation status for the Biochemistry Study Program at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.