FKM UMKT Hosts BIC-PHES 2026 to Strengthen Public and Environmental Health Collaboration for SDGs

UMKT.AC.ID, Samarinda — The Faculty of Public Health at Universitas Muhammadiyah Kalimantan Timur (FKM UMKT) held the opening ceremony of the 1st Borneo International Conference on Public Health and Environmental Health for Sustainable Development (BIC-PHES 2026) on Wednesday, August 12. Themed “Strengthening Public and Environmental Health Systems to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the conference takes place on August 12–13 at the UMKT Main Campus.

The opening day was attended by the Mayor of Samarinda, the Prince of the Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara Ing Martadipura, the Chairperson of the Muhammadiyah East Kalimantan Regional Board, the Vice Rector for Academic, Quality Assurance, Student, and Alumni Affairs, the Dean, faculty members, and students.

Dean Sri Sunarti explained that BIC-PHES serves as a platform to share knowledge, experience, and expertise in public and environmental health. Meanwhile, Vice Rector Abdul Halim emphasized that the conference should be viewed beyond an academic lens. He highlighted the importance of integrating Islamic methodology to advance public and environmental health in line with Islamic values and principles.

Muhammad Jafron, Chairman of the Muhammadiyah East Kalimantan Provincial Board, noted that modern society faces complex health challenges, including climate change, rapid industrial development, inadequate sanitation, and emerging diseases. He emphasized that the conference provides a vital platform for generating innovative ideas and fostering collaboration to address these issues.

Representing the Sultanate of Kutai Kartanegara Ing Martadipura, Raden Adji expressed appreciation for the faculty's environmental preservation efforts. He noted that the initiative reflects traditional wisdom prioritizing nature conservation, aligning with the conference's vision of viewing society and nature as interdependent pillars of sustainable development.

The conference brought together experts and scholars from Indonesia and abroad. In the first plenary session, Umar-Fahmi from Universitas Indonesia, Jay Jordan from the University of Utah (United States), and Joana Cristina Cardoso Guedes from the University of Porto (Portugal) served as guest speakers.

In the second plenary session, Ghozali from UMKT and Fatimah binti Ahmad Fauzi from Universiti Putra Malaysia featured as guest speakers. On the second day, the conference will host parallel presentation sessions and announce the Best Presenter Awards.

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Author: Raisha Azzahro

Translator: M. Rafly Raihandy

Photos: Annisa 'Ayun Nursania