The era of globalization brings more complex challenges to Indonesia such as environmental damage, social gap, depleting energy supplies, limited job opportunities, and economic problems. These challenges must be addressed by academics who are at the forefront of state intellectuality.
Intellectual works are needed to produce innovative academic products that can address those problems. This can be done through collaborative research projects of multi-disciplinary areas to accommodate the rapid development of science and technology.
According to Prof. Dr. Suprijadi, M.Eng., mathematics and natural sciences professor from ITB, universities had started collaborative research since two years ago. This has now changed into Indonesian Collaborative Research Program (PPKI) and Indonesian Collaborative Research (RKI). They cover many disciplines such as agro-related disciplines, medical, science-tech, and socio-humanities.
“Currently, there are 43 research groups in this project. The purpose of building a group from various fields is to make the topic observable from many aspects. The products of this collaboration are for science and for works that are needed by society,” said the professor.
Meanwhile, drg.Ika Dewi Anna, M.Kes., Ph.D., UGM Vice-Rector of Research and Community Service, said that for UGM this collaboration is one of the university’s mandated obligations since its establishment. The aim is to make real contributions to society and science.
Ika said that a university is considered successful not just from its ranking, but most importantly from its ability to solve national problems with the results of its research.
“This notion has encouraged UGM to continue making products to make the Indonesian society more advanced and prosperous,” she said.
Prof. Ainun Na’im, Ph.D., M.B.A., Secretary in Research and Technology Ministry/National Innovation Research Agency, welcomed the initiative for collaboration and said that this is in line with the laws issued by the current government.
Ainun said the Ministry had produced regulations to build a national research and innovation ecosystem. The priority is to build research integration nationally. The aim is to push the rate of national innovation, which is relatively low compared to other countries.
This integration, said Ainun, also involved private corporations or industry, because despite universities’ capacity to make innovation, they do not have experts when it comes to product commercialization. Ainun said the integration would impact on not just the university but also national economy transformation to be more independent. It would also improve the innovation ecosystem that can increase our competitiveness in the world. “So, we can get closer to our dream of making Indonesia prosperous,” he said.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/18820-ugm-jalin-kolaborasi-riset-antar-peguruan-tinggi-untuk-indonesia
