UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) remains committed to expanding its international partnerships. Recently, UNAIR held a strategic meeting with Western Sydney University (WSU) from Australia to discuss ways to enhance academic and research collaboration.
The meeting took place on Wednesday, November 5, 2024, in Kahuripan Room 301 on the third floor of UNAIR’s MERR-C Campus Management Office. This session followed prior discussions between WSU and Universitas Airlangga’s Rector, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nasih, SE, MT, Ak, CA, and other leaderships.
Representing UNAIR were Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Community Development, Prof. Dr. Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih, M.Si, along with deans from various faculties and the Deputy Director of Airlangga Global Engagement (AGE), Dr. Dina Septiani.
From WSU, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Provost Prof. Amir Mahmood, Pro-Vice Chancellor International Prof. Linda Taylor, and Chief Operations Officer of WSU Indonesia, Augviera Bong, attended with their teams.
Community development collaboration
The meeting opened with remarks from both sides. Prof. Puspaningsih highlighted UNAIR’s commitment to international community development through its World University Association of Community Development (WUACD) initiative. She invited WSU to join this program, explaining, “We have an international community development program, with three Australian universities already participating.”
Through WUACD, both UNAIR and WSU aim to broaden their networks and provide meaningful opportunities for their students and institutions to gain experience. The initiative prioritizes creating a positive impact globally by advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As a top-ranking institution in the Impact Rankings, Prof. Taylor noted that WSU is dedicated to making a positive difference through ongoing community engagement and development initiatives. She expressed that WUACD offers a substantial opportunity for both universities to collaborate toward shared goals.
The discussion also covered WSU’s proposal for joint research programs to improve publication output and elevate both institutions’ positions in the World University Rankings (WUR). Plans for joint symposia, international conferences, student mobility programs, and a potential joint doctoral degree were also discussed.
“These are very compelling proposals. UNAIR has always been supportive of joint research collaborations. Such partnerships can occur not only between universities but also across associations,” Prof. Puspaningsih responded enthusiastically.
Prof. Mahmood commented that while the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was only signed in 2023, the institutions’ relationship had been established long before. “During the meeting, I asked the Rector about the secret to UNAIR’s rapid development, and he answered, ‘collaboration,’” he noted. Reflecting on their discussions, Prof. Mahmood expressed optimism about strengthening ties between the two institutions by leveraging their unique strengths.
Author: Zahwa Sabiila Ilman Ramadhani
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
