The International Affairs Office of the Faculty of Science and Technology (Saintek), UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, successfully organized the International Joint Discussion 2025 entitled “Innovative Materials and Sustainable Technologies for a Greener Future”. The online academic forum was held on Thursday, 7 November 2025, via Zoom Meeting, and was open to the public. The event ran from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM (Indonesia Time) and brought together distinguished experts from three different country, USA, China and Indonesia.

The forum featured three key speakers: John Mischler, PhD (Associate Professor, Goshen College, USA), Prof. Qi Zhang, PhD (Professor, Yangzhou University, P.R. China), and Asih Melati, PhD (Assistant Professor, UIN Sunan Kalijaga), with Ade Kurniawan PhD serving as the moderator. The discussion commenced with an opening address by the Head of the IO FST, Lela Susilawati, S.Pd., M.Si., Ph.D. She emphasized that the primary goal of the discussion was to introduce students and faculty to international academic activities, fostering cross-border networking and paving the way for future collaborative research projects.

The first session, led by Dr. John Mischler, focused on "Grazing and Burning Across Grassland Systems." Dr. John highlighted the immense, yet often overlooked, potential of grasslands to store massive amounts of global carbon in their soil (10–30% of global stocks). He detailed how processes like fire and grazing are crucial in stable carbon sequestration, particularly by influencing belowground microbial dynamics, a paradigm shift from previous understanding.

The second session, presented by Prof. Qi Zhang, introduced "New Technologies and Equipment in Feed Drying and Processing." Prof. Zhang described the development of sustainable and energy-saving heat dryers achieved through innovative simulation and smart control systems to optimize parameters like airflow uniformity. Prof. Zhang expressed a strong interest in joint ventures, affirming an openness to collaboration and research projects with Indonesian institutions, especially in advanced micro-feed processing relevant to aquaculture. Concluding the forum, Dr. Asih Melati from UIN Sunan Kalijaga discussed "Advanced Material for Green Technology Towards a Green Environment." Her research focused on utilizing local natural waste to support the "Zero Waste 2050" goal, specifically showcasing the creation of biocomposites from banana leaves integrated with ZnO nanoparticles derived from Bajakah wood as an effective antimicrobial agent. Dr. Asih Melati also mentioned ongoing high-tech projects, including collaboration with the BRIN Rocket unit for developing thruster catalysts, underscoring the vast potential of Indonesian resources in green innovation.

Through events such as this, the Faculty of Science and Technology UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to strengthen its role in internationalization, knowledge exchange, and the promotion of science and technology for a greener and more sustainable future.