SEAMEO BIOTROP Convenes The 5th ICTB 2026 to Advance Tropical Ecosystems and Sustainable Landscapes
BOGOR – Protecting tropical ecosystems is not just an academic challenge; it is a shared human journey. Marking another milestone in regional collaboration, SEAMEO BIOTROP officially opened the 5th International Conference on Tropical Biology (ICTB 2026) at the IPB International Convention Center (IICC) in Bogor, held October 5 to 7, 2026. Under the theme “Biodiversity Beyond Boundaries: Advancing Global Education, Bioscience, and Sustainable Landscapes,” the hybrid conference brought together 325 participants - scientists, educators, policymakers, students, and community advocates from five nations - to connect scientific research with classroom learning, environmental policy, and everyday community livelihoods.
Over a Decade of Catalyzing International Collaboration
The ICTB platform reflects more than a decade of SEAMEO BIOTROP’s dedicated leadership in nurturing regional collaboration. That journey began in Bogor in 2013 with the launch of the inaugural conference, designed to lay the groundwork for regional research networks in tropical biology. Over the years, the platform steadily expanded its scope through the second and third editions in 2015 and 2018, which broadened scientific exchange to confront escalating environmental and sustainability crises. By its fourth gathering in 2023, ICTB had successfully linked rigorous scientific inquiry directly with environmental governance and classroom education. Today, the 2026 conference represents a mature, integrated forum that weaves cutting-edge bioscience, technological innovation, public policy, and grassroots community action into a unified front.
Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP, Prof. Dr. Edi Santosa, highlighted this core mission of translating scientific discovery into practical solutions:
"The challenges facing tropical ecosystems are deeply interconnected. Our solutions must be equally integrated—bridging modern bioscience with indigenous community knowledge. Through ICTB 2026, we aim to cross-pollinate ideas, expand international research consortia, and empower the next generation of researchers to safeguard our shared ecological heritage."
Echoing this regional vision, SEAMEO Secretariat Deputy Director for Programme and Development, Mr. John Arnold Siena, stressed that sustained, cross-border partnerships across ASEAN remain the vital foundation for addressing the biodiversity crisis at scale.
Advancing Scientific Frontiers Across Five Nations
Reflecting robust international interest, ICTB 2026 received 51 accepted scientific papers and abstracts across two primary categories: oral and poster presentations. These scientific contributions came from researchers across five nations: Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, and Algeria.
A total of 43 papers were delivered through dynamic oral presentation sessions (comprising 24 on-site presentations and 19 virtual deliveries), while 8 papers were featured in the poster presentation category (consisting of 7 on-site poster showcases and 1 online presentation).
Four Core Subthemes and the Launch of PROTIBAGURU
The presentations and panel discussions addressed critical conservation frontiers across four interconnected tracks:
- Biodiversity Education: Transforming geoparks, national parks, and living landscapes into dynamic learning systems.
- Sustainable Land Management: Restoring degraded, sub-optimal, and post-mining landscapes.
- Nature-Based Livelihoods: Fostering community economic resilience rooted in ecological integrity.
- Biotechnology: Leveraging bioscience for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and environmental remediation.
During the opening ceremony, SEAMEO BIOTROP marked a key milestone in environmental pedagogy with the official launch of PROTIBAGURU (Program Praktik Baik Guru Berkelanjutan). The program equips educators with the skills and curricular tools to integrate environmental literacy, STEM, and biotechnology into everyday classrooms.
Delivering the address on behalf of the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Expert Staff for Educational Technology Ir. Moch. Abduh, MS.Ed., PhD, underscored the role of educators in conservation:
"Biodiversity education must extend beyond memorizing species names from textbooks. Our landscapes must become classrooms, our forests living laboratories, and our local communities sources of deep wisdom. Teachers are the primary drivers in nurturing environmental stewardship and critical inquiry among the youth."
Broad Multi-Stakeholder Action on the Ground
The opening assembly featured high-level representation, including IPB University Rector and BIOTROP Governing Board Member Dr. Alim Setiawan, West Java Provincial Government Expert Staff for Economy and Development Dr. Indra Maha, S.T., M.T., and Mayor of Bogor Drs. Dedie Abdul Rachim, M.A., who commended Bogor's enduring role as a host for international scientific dialogue.
ICTB 2026 also included a keynote address by Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, an exhibition of biodiversity innovations, and field visits to the historic Bogor Botanical Gardens and SEAMEO BIOTROP’s Living Laboratories.
Through ICTB 2026, SEAMEO BIOTROP continues to turn regional research into actionable policy briefs, community programs, and industrial partnerships—building a resilient, biodiverse, and sustainable tropical future. Together, these efforts reinforce a stronger shared commitment to protect tropical ecosystems and advance sustainable landscapes.