The partnership between Australia and Indonesia in the field of research has been established since 2018 through a collaboration entitled Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) involving various leading Australian universities, including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, The University of Queensland, and The University of Western Australia. “Based on the previous cooperative relationship, it shows that UI- University of Melbourne has various potential platforms to collaborate in research and innovation activities. This meeting is expected to generate productive cooperation ideas for the relationship between the two campuses. Also, through this meeting, it is able to expand cooperation to the engineering and FMNS sectors,” said drg. Nurtami, Ph.D, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Universitas Indonesia (UI) when receiving a delegation visit from The University of Melbourne, at the UI Rectorate Building on Monday (17/10).
The University of Melbourne (UOM) delegation consisted of The University of Melbourne; Deputy Vice-Chancellor International, Chancellery International, Professor Michael Welsey; Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International Indonesia, Chancellery International, Professor Vedi Hadiz; Senior Partnerships Advisor, Chancellery International, Julie Fam; CEO, Asialink Business, Leigh Howard; Director, Global Integrated Marketing, Strategy and Culture, Ai Lin Choo MacDonald; Dean Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, Professor Julie Willis; Associate Dean International, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, Professor Nick Phelps; Dean Faculty of Business and Economics, Professor Paul Kofman; Associate Dean International, Faculty of Engineering and IT, Professor Shanton Chang; and Associate Dean International, Faculty of Science, Professor Alex Johnson. They were welcomed by UI Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Haris, M.Sc., Vice Rector for Research and Innovation, drg. Nurtami, Ph.D., Sp,OF(K), and deans who have potential collaboration with the University of Melbourne.
For more than a decade, UI and the University of Melbourne have collaborated, particularly with the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, and Faculty of Economics and Business. According to Prof. Abdul Haris, “This meeting was intended by UI to expand the area of collaboration to several other faculties and study programs, such as the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences – especially Actuarial, and the Faculty of Engineering. Double degree and or single degree programs are among the proposals put forward by UI in future cooperation. In addition, the health science cluster and engineering cluster are the leading sectors that UI offers for UI-University of Melbourne collaboration projects.”
Professor Michael Welsey agreed with the UI-University of Melbourne relationship.
We are proud of the consistency and success achieved to date, especially since their formal agreement in 1995. According to Michael, the University of Melbourne is very open to establishing broader and more beneficial cooperation in the future.
Another delegate, Professor Vedi Hadiz said that this meeting was an opportunity for the two campuses to reconnect, after Covid-19 became a challenge for partners to have direct and productive discussions. “With this discussion, the two campuses are trying to identify cooperation in depth and breadth. In the field of education, the University of Melbourne can be a model of quality higher education for UI, or Indonesia,” he said.
One of the study programs at UI that attracted the attention of the University of Melbourne is
Actuarial, so that the Dean of FMNS UI, Dede Djuhana, Ph.D., said, “Seeing collaboration in related fields as a potential point for further discussion. This includes collaboration on research and mobility programs.”
At the end of July 2022, the Faculty of Engineering (FEng) UI had a meeting with the University of Melbourne regarding three cooperation agendas that need to be followed up, including: (1) financing scheme for the consortium; (2) training of teaching and research personnel in the education sector with agreed methods; and (3) continuation of the double degree program. Meanwhile, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI also proposed several potential research collaborations for the sustainability of the relationship between the two campuses, especially after the obstacles that existed during the pandemic.
Director of Research and Development of UI, Munawar Khalil, Ph.D explained that the research collaboration between UI-UOM was initiated by the PRIME platform. Currently, PRIME has become a model consortium for LPDP, and continues to develop future projects related to several key topics to be implemented, such as (1) biotechnology and biotechnics; (2) smart city; (3) renewable energy; and (4) artificial intelligence (AI). There are other schemes that can be used by UI-University of Melbourne to finance cooperation between the two campuses, especially in terms of research.
The University of Melbourne delegation was also enthusiastic about enhancing mobility programs for undergraduate, or postgraduate students in FEng and Faculty of Computer Science. They are also involved in UI’s inbound program in short semester programs, or summer/winter school for students.
The University of Melbourne underlined the significance of this meeting as an important step for Indonesia-Australia to establish positive diplomatic relations. UI is one of the strategic campuses for Australia’s commitment to strengthen its Indo-Pacific ties.
Author: Giany Allysia Putri|Editor: Mariana S
