In order to raise the nation’s competitiveness, the Ministry of Research and Technology Republic of Indonesia launches the Science and Technology Center Development Program in an effort to increase the utilization of technology by industries and entrepreneurs. This program also supports the Regional Innovation System and MP3EI according to the advantages and potentials of the respective regions. Currently, the Ministry is preparing 12 institutions as top science and technology centers in Indonesia.
The Institute of Tropical Disease (ITD) Airlangga University is an institute appointed to be a science and technology center, in particular as the Top Tropical Disease Infection Research Center, since 5 December 2012. Two other institutions that are assigned are The Center of Oil Palm in Medan and the Indonesian Center of Coffee and Cocoa Research in Jember. The achievements and contributions of these institutions need to be informed to the public as part of their responsibility regarding the scientific community’s contribution in supporting national development.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Research and Technology Republic of Indonesia, the ITD UNAIR has received science journalists from various news outlets to observe directly various research projects that have been developed by UNAIR researchers. All related faculties and units are actively involved in the occasion. A male contraception pill from the Gandarussa vulgaris Nees leaf. The research result by Prof. Dr. Bambang Prayogo, MS., Apt. and his team becomes an achievement of the Faculty of Pharmacy UNAIR in the Press Tour Gathering on Monday, 16 May 2013.
With the designation of the Institute of Tropical Disease UNAIR as a Science and Technology Center, especially in the health, drug, and molecular biology sectors, the ITD is now ready to be an international vaccine producer. The development of vaccines such as avian influenza, dengue, hepatitis, malaria, to the bee poison therapy to eliminate the HIV virus has been conducted intensively because the present existing threat comes from virus.
