The Department of Chemistry at FSM UNDIP held a Studium Generale entitled “Liposomes and Their Role in the Cosmetic Industry” on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the 6th floor of the Acintya Prasada Building. The event featured two distinguished speakers: Drs. Maruap Siahaan, M.B.A., Director of PT St. Morita Farma, and Prof. Dr. Dwi Hudiyanti, M.Sc. from the Department of Chemistry, FSM UNDIP. The session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Parsaoraan Siahaan, M.S. It was attended by the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of FSM UNDIP, faculty members, and undergraduate and graduate students from the Chemistry program.
In his remarks, the Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of FSM UNDIP, Dr. Ngadiwiyana, S.Si., M.Si., emphasized the importance of cooperation with the industrial world in responding to future technological challenges that are increasingly complex and require broader insights and perspectives. For this reason, FSM UNDIP opens up opportunities for wide cooperation to various industries both domestically and abroad to jointly build a competitive research atmosphere at Diponegoro University.
In this Studium Generale, Prof. Dr. Dwi Hudiyanti explained the concept of liposomes from a chemical perspective, which is a phospholipid-based active ingredient delivery system. Liposomes have advantages because they are non-toxic, easily decomposed, and biocompatible, so they have great potential for application in modern cosmetics. Some active ingredients that can be developed through liposome technology include curcumin, vitamin C, and other natural compounds. She also encouraged that research results on campus can continue to be developed together with industry.
Meanwhile, Drs. Maruap Siahaan explained the importance of having a strong research base to build product competitiveness in the cosmetics industry. He also touched on the importance of honesty in business and the great potential of the natural-based cosmetics industry in the future. In this session, he was accompanied by Mrs. Desi Puspaningrum as R&D Manager of PT St. Morita Farma who explained that modern cosmetics today are not only aesthetic, but also have therapeutic functions. Natural liposome-based products currently being developed by PT St. Morita Farma, such as Skinoasis and Euterria, are the result of various collaborations. For this reason, the role of FSM UNDIP in the development of PT St. Morita Farma cosmetic products is expected to strengthen the synergy between the academic world and industry.
The discussion session was marked by high student engagement, as shown by insightful questions, including one regarding the interaction mechanism between liposomes and the stratum corneum for optimal anti-inflammatory delivery, and another concerning the long-term safety of encapsulation technology. This event provided a collaborative platform that strengthened ties between academic and industrial sectors, opening broader opportunities for future innovations in applied chemistry, particularly in cosmetics.
As a concrete follow-up to this collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on the same day between the Diponegoro University and PT St. Morita Farma. The signing ceremony took place at the Rectorate Building of Diponegoro University.
In his remarks, the Rector of Diponegoro University expressed full support for the collaboration and emphasized the importance of mastering strategic technologies at UNDIP. “Hopefully, this partnership will continue and bring widespread benefits—not only in the field of cosmetics but also in various other areas. This is a real example of research downstreaming, and it will be a source of pride for the nation if universities can directly contribute to society and industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, Drs. Maruap Siahaan highlighted the importance of a strong research foundation in creating competitive products. He explained that PT St. Morita Farma continues to make breakthroughs by utilizing natural ingredients from Indonesia and formulating them into superior products, one of which is Euterria. In this product, Prof. Dwi’s liposome formulation will be applied and tested for consistency as an active ingredient to increase the effectiveness of the product as part of a collaboration with FSM UNDIP.
This event serves as concrete evidence that collaboration between academia and industry can generate innovation and practical solutions, especially in the fields of applied chemistry and cosmetics, for the advancement of science and national development.