While sitting at parallel sessions on natural resource management, I find it really interesting to watch people come and go. I have observed people leave after one presentation and another group of people come in. I can’t help but wonder why? Were there any expectation that the presentations didn’t meet? Were the presenters boring? (Continue...)

Who should manage the forest, the people or the forest corporation? In Indonesia, State Forest Corporation (SFC) has been granted by the authority to manage the teak forest on Java Island. There is currently an emerging conflict about the usage of teak forest between the corporation and the villagers. Over 30 years, the teak forest in Java has been controlled by the SFC and the only way that the community can have access is through the Collaborative Forest Management Program (CFMP). “The general impression is nothing really changed in Java” - Wiene Andriyana told the audience during the parallel plenary sessions on natural resources management. (Continue...)

This year’s Tropentag is taking place at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. Over 800 participants from 70 different countries composed of students, professors, researchers and private individuals attending the said conference. I had have been asking about that myself why a lot of people are interested to attend said conference. So I end up with the question has this something to do with the place because it’s Prague or the idea of conference itself?

Tropentag is an international conference where professors, researchers and students convene to share new information or findings about their research. Student reporters play a big role in informing the public about the conference especially reaching the young people. So what interest David to join the student reporters team? Continue