The Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology is one of the academic programs within the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada. The establishment of this study program began with the establishment of the PAU (Pusat Antar Universitas or Inter-Universities Center) Biotechnology UGM, which was part of the Indonesian Biotechnology Development Project under the Directorate General of Higher Education. The PAU Biotechnology UGM was founded in 1985 based on the Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia number: 909/D/T/1986 dated May 15, 1986, using funding from the World Bank loan XVII from 1986 to 1995. PAU Biotechnology UGM is one of the three PAU Biotechnology centers in Indonesia. Subsequent funding for PAU Biotechnology UGM was obtained from the URGE IBRD Grant Loan No: 3754-IND for the fiscal years 1994/1995 to 1998/1999.
Based on the experience of conducting various research and educational activities, as well as the high interest from other universities in developing biotechnology in Indonesia, in 1995, PAU Biotechnology UGM proposed the establishment of a Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology. Initially, the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology was offered as a field of study within the Ph.D. program in Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MIPA) in 1995.
Since the issuance of the UGM Rector’s Decree No. 25/P/SK/HKTL/2001 on July 3, 2001, concerning the restructuring of centers within Universitas Gadjah Mada into research centers, the PAU Biotechnology UGM was transformed into the Research Center for Biotechnology (Pusat Studi Bioteknologi) UGM. The Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology was formally managed under the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology starting in 2003, following the Decree of the Director of Graduate Programs at Universitas Gadjah Mada No. 01/J01.4/OT/SK/3. The Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology involves various academic disciplines and educators from faculties supporting biotechnology sciences at UGM. This strengthens the classification of the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology as a multidisciplinary program, managed under the Graduate School of UGM as per the Rector’s Decree No. 89/P/SK/HT/2006. The existence of the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology was further solidified with the Decree of the Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada No. 525/P/SK/HT/2008 regarding the Restructuring and Re-establishment of Permits for the Implementation of Study Programs at Universitas Gadjah Mada issued on November 21, 2008. The permit for the operation of the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology at UGM has been extended twice, valid until November 20, 2017, through the Decree of the Rector of Gadjah Mada University No. 791/P/SK/HT/2013 and No. 605/P/SK/HT/2015.
Since its establishment, the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology has undergone three accreditation evaluations by the National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (BAN-PT). Based on the decision of the National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education No. 018/BAN-PT/Ak-X/S3/XI/2011 regarding the Status, Value, Ranking, and Validity Period of Accreditation Results for Doctoral Programs in Higher Education dated November 18, 2011, the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology at UGM received an “A” accreditation ranking. Since then, until 2021, the Study Program of Doctor in Biotechnology at UGM has consistently received an “A” ranking. In the latest accreditation cycle in 2021, based on the BAN-PT decision No. 13382/SK/BAN-PT/Akred-PMT/D/XII/2021, it received an “Excellent (Unggul)” accreditation ranking.