UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) and Hadhramout University, Yemen, recently held a meeting to discuss ongoing collaborative agendas. This meeting, which took place on Friday, November 1, 2024, in the Plenary Meeting Room of the Management Office at UNAIR’s MERR-C Campus, marked the second formal engagement between the two universities.
Attending the meeting on behalf of UNAIR were the Vice Rector for Academic, Student, and Alumni Affairs, Prof. Dr. drh Bambang Sektiari Lukiswanto DEA; Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Community Development, Prof. Dr. Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih MSi; Vice Rector for Resources, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Madyan SE, MSi, MFin; Deputy Director of Airlangga Global Engagement (AGE), Dr. Dina Septiani; and several deans from various faculties.
Hadhramout University’s delegation included six representatives, led by University President Prof. Dr. Mohammed Saeed Khanbash. The meeting also welcomed Mohammed Mansoor bin Thabit and Adel Taleb bin Muhanaa from the Nahd Development Foundation (NDF), a nonprofit organization allied with Hadhramout University.
Strengthening collaboration
Prof. Sektiari emphasized that the discussions underscored both institutions’ commitment to a sustained partnership. “We hope today’s meeting lays a foundation for programs that bring value not only to our universities but also to broader society and the nation,” he said.
Since signing their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year, UNAIR and Hadhramout University have collaborated on an international symposium and executed a matching grant. Looking ahead, Prof. Khanbash expressed hope to advance the partnership with joint degree programs and joint research grants across multiple faculties, aiming to increase research publications and rankings for both universities.
Prof. Khanbash also proposed launching a semester-long student exchange program in the coming year. “Once your students arrive, we’ll be responsible for their well-being and prepared to offer accommodations,” he assured.
Exploring future program opportunities
During the meeting, UNAIR introduced its World University Association of Community Development (WUACD) to encourage expansion of the matching grant program to include community development efforts. “We invite Hadhramout University to join WUACD, where you can access diverse opportunities to network with both national and international UNAIR partners,” said Prof. Puspaningsih.
Hadhramout University responded positively, with Prof. Khanbash also showing interest in extending the matching grant to include collaboration with UNAIR’s Research Centre of New and Renewable Energy Engineering (NREE). Both universities aim to enhance faculty-to-faculty collaboration, especially between the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) and the Faculty of Medicine (FK).
“We look forward to welcoming the UNAIR delegation, including the deans, to Hadhramout University in our next meeting,” Prof. Khanbash concluded.
Author: Zahwa Sabiila Ilman Ramadhani
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
