A delegation from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) participated in the Week of Indonesia–Netherlands Education and Research (WINNER) Conference held from Sep. 24-26, 2024, in The Hague, Netherlands.
The conference, themed ‘Nurturing Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in Higher Education and Research,’ aimed to advance research and education on various topics relevant to Indonesia and the Netherlands.
This conference provided a platform for researchers, educators, and stakeholders from various sectors to explore, exchange best practices, and foster collaborative global opportunities.
The three-day event, which took place across multiple locations in the Netherlands, featured various sessions, keynote speakers, and opportunities for collaboration.
One of the speakers from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Professor Mirwan Ushada, UGM’s Director of Research, presented on the topic ‘Nurturing the Impact of Strategic Partnerships for INUCoST (Indonesia – Netherlands Universities Consortium on Sustainable Futures).’
Professor Ushada explained that Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, and Erasmus University would form a strategic partnership with a consortium of universities in Indonesia.
This consortium comprises Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Airlangga, and Universitas Mulawarman.
It is hoped that this collaboration will lead Indonesian universities working in similar fields to complement one another, similar to Leiden University, TU Delft, and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
The agreed-upon research collaboration theme focuses on building a sustainable future, which depends on the relationship between humans, the environment, and social mobility.
The professor in agroindustrial technology affective design mentioned that the concept involves collaborating by merging urban and coastal communities to solve specific problems, such as those related to Nusantara Capital City (IKN).
“We use a special approach that integrates the tri-dharma [three pillars of higher education], resulting in downstream industries and community-based innovations. These solutions can then become teaching materials for MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka) practicums at the undergraduate or postgraduate level,” he explained.
Professor Ushada added that the collaboration between Indonesian and Dutch universities would include joint research on sustainable futures, emphasizing several interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary themes.
“One of the comprehensive themes includes the development of IKN,” he said.
In addition to research on IKN, his team is also conducting studies on biodiversity and forest cities, energy transition and AI, smart cities, and significant heritage and health issues related to river-based topics.
He noted that this collaboration is built on sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships between Indonesia and the Netherlands.
As known, the WINNER Conference began with an opening ceremony in The Hague, officiated by Nadiem Anwar Makarim, Minister of Education of Indonesia.
This event was also attended by Eppo Bruins, Minister of Education of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Laksana Tri Handoko and Professor Agus Haryono from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN); and Dr. Tatang Muttaqin, Acting Director General of Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education of Indonesia.
Author: Lintang
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif