Research and Development Center (Balitbang) of the Indonesian Ministry conducted a collaboration with four universities in Indonesia. They are Universitas Gadjah Mada, University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology, and Surabaya Institute of Technology collaborated with the Transportation Research and Development Center (Balitbang) of the Indonesian Ministry. The collaboration conducted online on Tuesday afternoon (2/6) and attended by four chancellors simultaneously.
Cooperation of the Ministry of Transportation through the Research and Development Agency by collaborating with academics from these four tertiary institutions aims to seek input in the framework of policymaking in the transportation sector is in line with the New Normal discussion. The resulting policies will be issued after the Covid-19 pandemic.
UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M. Eng., D. Eng., IPU, ASEAN Eng., and welcomes this perfect collaboration. According to him, it is because, after the Covid-19 pandemic, Indonesia will encounter several options relating to considerations in transportation and economic life.
"Indonesia will deal with several policy choices that must be chosen carefully and thoroughly," he said.
Some of the options offered by UGM include, first, economic recovery is more prioritized but sensitive to the point of view. The second choice of the mission is more important but more sensitive from the perspective of economic recovery, and the third option is to prioritize values for a better economy.
The chancellor said that the options compiled from the recommendations of activities through a webinar conducted by UGM Pustral that was attended by various transportation stakeholders from all areas of Indonesia.
"Taking into account the facts on the ground and the thoughts of the experts of higher education in the fields of engineering, social, public health, economics, territoriality and culture, UGM may ask for a study that balances the aspects of assessment and better economic sustainability," he said.
Based on this, he added, UGM opened itself to collaborate with the Research and Development Agency of the Ministry of Transportation in conducting joint research under the title of changing the conduct of transportation that prioritizes human values for a better economy. Cooperation leads to humanitarian transport.
"UGM strongly supports the hope of the Minister of Transportation who is collaborating with four tertiary institutions, namely UGM, UI, ITB, and ITS to place the transportation sector as a service of human values for a better economy," he said.
After signing the collaboration, the event continued with a discussion on Collaboration in Response to the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Recovery Strategy on the New Normal Life Order in the Transportation Sector. The four tertiary institutions expressed their opinions regarding land, sea, and air transportation modes after the Covid-19 pandemic.
On this occasion, UGM, through experts at the Center for Transportation and Logistics Studies, conveyed their thoughts related to changes in the conduct of the transportation sector, prioritizing humanitarian values for a better economy.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Agus Taufik Mulyono, S.T., M.T., IPU., ASEAN. Eng, as the Head of UGM Pustral, stated there are also impact of the pandemic and PSBB policy on the resilience of the performance and sustainability of the operator transportation sector and travel behavior. Therefore, they believe that they need to enhance regulations and studies with socio-economic impacts during the Covid-19 pandemic on the railroad transportation business. It is also necessary to study models and strategies to recover the railroad transportation business after the Covid-19 pandemic.
"UGM's proposal is in the form of a study of the role of railroad transportation. It aims to accelerate the distribution of humanitarian logistics in the form of pandemic disaster-based food," said Prof. Agus Taufik Mulyono, Professor of DTSL FT UGM, Head of UGM Pustral and Chair of the Indonesian Transportation Society.
While related to the logistics service industry model and recovery strategy after the Covid-19 pandemic, he continued, UGM suggested a study of humanitarian transportation by prioritizing humanity for a better economic life in anticipating New Normal conditions.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: Sindonews.com
Translator: Natasa A