PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN RECENT CURRICULUM OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION OF AGRICULTURE IN INDONESIA 1 Tarkus Suganda Study Program of Agrotechnology Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran Jatinangor, Bandung 40600 Email : tarkussuganda@unpad.ac.id ABSTRACT Phytopathological Education in Recent Curriculum of Undergraduate Education of Agriculture in Indonesia. Changes in the curriculum of undergraduate education of agriculture in Indonesia resulted in the elimination of the study program of Plant Pests and Diseases in which phytopathological sciences were taught in depth for preparing phytopathologists. The change in the curriculum in fact was reasonable since this study program is supposed not for undergraduate level, it also executed as a response to low needs of job market to phytopathologists. With the change in the curriculum, number of courses in phytopathology is significantly reduced, therefore the depth in knowledge and skills will also reduced. Meanwhile, graduate education in phytopathology is also rare. This fact needs a great concerns from Indonesian phytopathologists, since in longterm, it may cause in slow development of phytopathological science as well as the availability of phytopathologist in Indonesia. Practitioners of phytopathology, both at the research institutes and of agricultural companies may contribute in making suggestions to university educators in how to make education in phytopathology florish and develop, both scientifically and in preparation of the human resources of phytopathology. Keywords : phytopathological education, impacts of curriculum change INTRODUCTION Due to low appreciation from student intake and low job availability for plant protection graduates, in 2007, the Association of Deans of Higher Education in Agriculture had merged the Study Program of Plant Pests and Diseases (SPPPD) with the Study Program of Soil Sciences, of Agronomy, and of Plant Breeding into the Study Program of Agrotechnology. Another reason for this merger was also inline with the international curriculum, since internationally, study program of plant pathology and/or plant entomology was offered at postgraduate level. So far, in Indonesia, the study program of plant pests and diseases was offered at undergraduate level, although in several universities, it also offered at postgraduate level. The merge of these study programs has a detrimental impacts on the availability of future Indonesian plant pathologists as well as on the development of research in plant pathology. Before the merger, new plant pathologists were raised at almost half of the students enrolled at the SPPPD since generally, half of them had to do a research in plant pathology when they were advised under a plant pathologist. Although not all bachelor graduates continuing their career as plant pathologist, still some new plant pathologist were resulted. In this paper I would like to draw attention on the impacts of the abolishment of the SPPPD, especially on the education of future plant pathologists in Indonesia, as well as on the development of research in plant pathology. An attempt was also discussed on the role of all respective stakeholders responsible for the education of plant pathology in Indonesia. 1 Keynote paper presented at International Seminar on Phytopathology, Makassar 5-7 August 2009.