UNAIR NEWS – International collaboration between Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia continued to strengthen through the International Collaborative Workshop on Innovative Delivery & Learning, held on August 11-12, 2026 at UiTM Cawangan Selangor, Puncak Alam Campus, Malaysia. The event served as a space for exchanging knowledge and experience between the UNAIR and UiTM academic communities, particularly in innovative learning development, digital transformation, research, scientific publication, and academic mobility.
From Faculty of Public Health (FKM) UNAIR, the event was attended by three lecturers, Prof Ira Nurmala SKM MPH PhD, Prof Dr Lutfi Agus Salim, and Dr Muthmainnah. Along with four undergraduate Public Health students: Siti Mudmainah, Eunike Merry Crismatea, Fania Ayu Harsanti, and Dina Kinanti Dewi.
The four students took part in the Student Outbound Parttime program at UiTM from August 10-14, 2026. Event documentation lists the workshop venue as Dewan Anggerik Sari, Aras 3, Plaza Satelit B, UiTM Cawangan Selangor, Puncak Alam Campus.
Learning and exchange of ideas
On the first day, Tuesday (8/11/2026), participants took part in a series of activities beginning with registration and breakfast, followed by an introductory session on 360-Degree Video in Education and a hands-on workshop on creating 360-degree content. The agenda continued with a session on Virtual Learning and Immersive Learning Environment.
In the afternoon, Prof Nurmala presented on best practices in digital teaching innovation and international academic collaboration. The first day closed with a dialogue and best-practice sharing session between UiTM and UNAIR.
On the second day, Wednesday (8/12/2026), participants were introduced to CIDL and its role in transforming teaching and learning (PdP), followed by an innovation visit to UiTM’s Makerspace. Prof Salim then delivered a session on strengthening international research collaboration and evidence-based academic development. Meanwhile, Dr Muthmainnah shared perspectives on digital innovation and artificial intelligence in education and community development.
The program continued with a strategic discussion on potential UiTM–UNAIR collaboration in research, publication, and academic mobility, before closing with a photo session. For UNAIR, the event was not meant to stop at two days of knowledge exchange. The meeting with UiTM was aimed at building more concrete, sustainable partnership.
Strategic agenda
The collaboration discussed covers joint research, scientific publication, innovative and digital learning development, academic mobility, and capacity building for lecturers and students. This aligned with the strategic agenda outlined in the UiTM–UNAIR discussion session on research, publishing, and academic mobility.
As a follow-up, five UiTM lecturers are scheduled to make a return visit to UNAIR from August 30 – September 5, 2026. The visit will include research fellow and guest lecturer activities, so the partnership built extends beyond the meeting in Malaysia and continues through direct academic activities at UNAIR.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn and exchange experiences with UiTM. For us, international collaboration isn’t just about meeting and sharing knowledge, but about how this meeting can produce real partnership, whether in research, education, or the development of student and lecturer capacity,” Prof Nurmala said.
She noted that the meeting between the two institutions also opens opportunities to bring together diverse expertise and perspectives in addressing education and public health challenges in the digital era.
This spirit of collaboration was reflected in a series of activities that included, not only seminars but also workshops, visits to innovation facilities, exchange of best practices, and strategic discussions on opportunities for further partnership.
Realizing SDGs
This UNAIR–UiTM activity is also linked to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, through strengthening the quality and innovation of learning; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through the use of digital technology, virtual learning, 360-degree video, and artificial intelligence; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through strengthening international partnerships in education and research.
Further, this collaboration shows that university internationalization is realized not only through student and faculty mobility, but also through knowledge exchange, joint research, publication, learning method development, and the creation of sustainable academic networks. With the return visit of five UiTM lecturers to UNAIR on August 30 – September 5, 2026 through the research fellow and guest lecturer agenda, partnership between the two institutions is expected to become more concrete and beneficial to the academic community, while opening opportunities for more collaborative programs in the future.
Author: Bian Shabri Putri Irwanto
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
