Universitas Gadjah Mada has established cooperation with 4 institutions in education, research, and community service. The four institutions are Bungo regency government, Research and Development unit in Health Ministry, Universitas Islam Madura, and Universitas Alma Ata.
The signing was done in Multimedia UGM on Tuesday (23/10) by Rector UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng, Bungo Regent , H. Mashuri, S.P., ME., Head of Health Ministry’s Research and Development, Dr. dr. H. Siswanto, MHP., DTM, Rector of Universitas Islam Madura, Ahmad, S.Ag., M.Pd, and Rector of Universitas Alma Ata, Prof. Dr. H. Hamam Hadi, M.Sc., Sc.D., Sp.GK.
UGM Rector said among people, understanding of diseases and natural phenomenon were often linked to mystical belief. With research, these problems could be resolved and, instead, used for common interests.
For example, Madura island is a producer of good quality salt, but on the other hand, Indonesia still imports salt in a great amount. This should challenge us how to produce salt cheaply to meet our own needs. The same is true with the large drug imports.
“The fact awakens higher learning institutions to do research to produce goods which are efficient, cheap, while substituting imports. So, by doing cooperation in these matters, the results will be different,” he said.
Panut Mulyono further hoped the cooperation could be implemented into projects to advance the parties and to benefit the society and the state.
Meanwhile, Siswanto explained the vision in health was to achieve a healthy nation. To reach this needs research and development. With the cooperation, he hoped Health Ministry’s R&D and UGM could more intensely explore research and development in health services. Among these are product development related to raw materials and natural drug materials.
“Also, human resource needs to be improved. No less important is how to interpret research into policy or knowledge management,” he said.
In the same place the Bungo Regent said to open opportunities for UGM students wanting to do community service in the regency to boost development there.
Afterwards, Rector of Alma Ata, Hamam Hadi, said Universitas Alma Ata was a young university that opened in 2006 as Stikes but had earned good rankings in Indonesia. In 2016 it ranked 2,928 of 3,500 universities, and in 2017 jumped to 2,500. But in 2018, Universitas Alma Ata soared to 254 ranks in Indonesia.
“Alhamdulillah, in three years we have jumped from 2,928 to 2,500, and finally 254. I hope with this cooperation, we can enter the big 100 in Indonesia,” said Hamam Hadi.
Meanwhile, Rector of Universitas Islam Madura, Ahmad said both Universitas Islam Madura and UGM have cooperated in corn research. A similar cooperation is expected for salt research. “From this cooperation we expect there will be inputs to us on university’s education, research, and community service missions,” he said.