Many universities around the world are currently competing to achieve excellence. Universities can attain various significant achievements through practical and academic research, which are consistently showcased on the international stage.
Universities, including UGM, consider research and publication policies to be of utmost importance. This includes policies related to budget allocation and other aspects.
This was emphasized by Professor Yuny Erwanto, a researcher from the UGM Institute for Halal Industry & System, while talking about the positive trend achieved by its center.
Not only have they managed to penetrate international journals, but they have also recently achieved the highest ranking among universities worldwide.
“Support from teams that can elevate numerous research endeavors is needed for us to become the driving force, not just followers. The challenge is how we can produce works emulated by other institutions, including the industrial sector,” he stated on Wednesday (9/8).
Professor Erwanto explained that, currently, by using the keyword “Halal Detection” and conducting title, abstract, and keyword searches on Scopus data, UGM is ranked as number 1 in the world.
The search results display research on non-halal substances, with UGM having the highest number of publications compared to Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries conducting similar research.
“Looking at the Halal Detection, UGM has around 37 percent dominance. We have the most publications compared to UPM, the University of Malaya, and even competing with halal research in Thailand, such as Chulalongkorn University,” he added.
“They are not higher, but they are recognized for winning in other aspects, namely international branding and marketing.”
He hopes that an institution will spearhead international branding and marketing, as having significant international contributions is less advantageous if it is not well-known.
Malaysia and Thailand’s keen sense of branding and marketing has made their halal-related research widely accepted. They are often invited to various countries, including those in Africa.
“However, in terms of capabilities, we are more advanced. UGM has the Directorate of Partnerships and Global Relations that can make various breakthroughs. This, of course, should not only be the responsibility of a single institution but rather involve everyone, all researchers at UGM, including the university leaders,” he stated.
According to Professor Erwanto, the ability to envision solutions for the future is a key factor in the success of formulating a research strategic plan. For this reason, a well-prepared 10-year research strategic plan should be established.
“It should detail what we envision for the next ten years. For example, halal research began in 2008, and the halal research boom only started in 2017, which is why we are leading because we started earlier,” Professor Erwanto explained.
Additionally, he emphasized that international exposure is one of the strategies to enhance UGM’s academic reputation internationally. UGM’s ranking will naturally rise if its academic reputation improves. Therefore, the focus should not be on just one topic but rather comprehensive.
“Halal is just one topic I happen to be engaged in. I believe other colleagues can explore other topics that might be brought up to garner interest,” he added.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: Freepik.com