Universitas Terbuka (UT) once again demonstrated its strong commitment to accelerating innovation and community service through the Presentation of Research & Community Service Contracts for the 2025 Innovation and Service Awards. This event marks an important moment for academics, researchers, and students to develop research and creative programs that have a broad impact on society. With full support from UT, this activity is expected to strengthen the research and innovation ecosystem, while expanding real contributions in various scientific fields.
This activity was held in a hybrid format on February 6, 2025, at the Universitas Terbuka Convention Center (UTCC) and via Zoom Meeting, with the theme “Innovative Research and Community Empowerment Towards a Golden Indonesia”. The event was attended by the Rector of UT, Dr. Mohamad Yunus, S.S., M.A., Chairman of the UT Academic Senate, Secretary of the UT Board of Trustees (MWA), Vice Rectors, Deans, Director of the Postgraduate School, leaders, and lecturers within UT. This activity is routinely held by the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) UT every beginning of the year. The series of activities consisted of (1) the signing of research and community service contracts for the 2025 fiscal year, (2) the screening and submission of the UT Innovation and Service Works Catalog for the Nation in 2024, and (3) the awarding of Catha Sancaya awards for innovation and service at Universitas Terbuka.
The research schemes held by UT include competitive research schemes for students, junior lecturers, basic, applied, and development research; (2) assignment research; and (3) collaborative research. In addition, the community service schemes held by UT include Community Service for Lecturers, Entrepreneurship Community Service for Students, National Community Service for Assisted Villages, and International Community Service.
The Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Prof. Dra. Dewi Artati Padmo Putri, M.A., Ph.D. in her speech said that UT continues to encourage lecturers to conduct collaborative research with partners from other universities or institutions, both from within and outside the country, such as OU5, ICE Institute, and BRIN. UT is also involved in the Indonesian Collaborative Research (RKI) and Indonesian Collaborative Community Service (PMKI) initiated by the Forum LP/LPPM/DRPM/LPM/DPPM from 24 Legal Entity State Universities (PTNBH) so that UT is able to keep up with and also learn from other PTNBHs to become stronger in research and community service.
In her report, Prof. Dewi said that in 2025 UT allocated Rp. 40 Billion, and this fund is greater than the previous year. “In order to achieve the target number of research and implementation of Community Service, every year UT provides substantial internal funding to lecturers, education personnel, diploma students, undergraduate students, and postgraduate students,” said Prof. Dewi. The funds are used for Research activities of 32.5 M for 550 research titles for research schemes for beginners, basic, applied, development, research, assignments, and collaboration, of which 40 are for student research. For the Community Service Scheme, 8.9 M funds 384 proposals for Community Service activities for 204 lecturer schemes and Entrepreneurship Community Service for 100 students, National Community Service for Assisted Villages 70 proposals, and International Community Service for 10 proposals. For International Community Service, it will be carried out in several locations bordering the UT Regional such as Timor Leste, Sabah Malaysia, and the Philippine Border. “With the implementation of this International Community Service, it can be beneficial for border communities in the local area,” she added.
Research and Community Service activities within Universitas Terbuka are activities that are routinely carried out every year. Every lecturer is required to carry out research and Community Service activities, either as a head or as a research member. The resulting Innovation and Service Works are well documented in the Universitas Terbuka Innovation and Service Works Catalog for the Nation. This catalog is a collection of works initiated by the UT academic community in 2024. This year, 40 innovation works were selected, consisting of 10 products from scientific research, 10 products from Community Service activities, and 20 innovation research products. These products are the result of the research and Community Service process that has been carried out in 2024.
The event continued with a speech as well as opening by the Rector of UT, Dr. Mohamad Yunus, S.S., M.A. In his speech, Dr. Mohamad Yunus said that as a Higher Education Institution, UT is obliged to carry out the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, one of which is research and Community Service activities which are mandatory activities for lecturers. “With research and Community Service funds disbursed by UT in 2025 reaching Rp 40M, this fund is not a small value. For this reason, I hope that UT lecturers and UT staff can use the research and Community Service funds that have been provided wisely to achieve research and innovation results that can bring your name and UT and of course support the achievement of a Golden Indonesia,” Dr. Mohamad Yunus said.
The UT Rector also emphasized the importance of downstreaming from the research results that have been carried out. “Downstreaming of research results in the form of UT Innovation products must be encouraged, products or applications that have been registered for their Intellectual Property Rights to the Ministry of Law and Human Rights need to be validated to see the opportunities for their utilization on a larger scale, both to improve the UT learning process, in the wider community through community service activities, and marketed commercially which will become UT’s income generating,” he added.
The series of events continued with the Presentation of the 2024 Catha Sancaya Innovation and Community Service Awards, which was then followed by the Ceremonial Handover of Research and Community Service Contracts represented by the Faculty Lecturers and then a group photo. Catha Sancaya refers to caring and involvement, active participation to do something for the environment and society, involvement and participation are realized through the profession or learning outcomes from the knowledge gained in life. The following are the lecturers and education personnel in functional positions who received this award.
Dr. Hasrianti, S.Si., M.Si. with an innovative creation entitled “The Process of Making Deodorant in Cream Preparation from Durian Fruit Peel Extract”
Diki, S.Si., M.Ed., Ph.D. with an innovative creation entitled “Impeller of Turbojet Centrifugal Compressor”
Dr. Ahmad Yani, S.Pd., M.Pd. with an innovative creation entitled “Detergent Degrading Formula Using Indigenous Bacteria as a Bioremediation Agent”
Dr. Elizabeth Novi Kusumaningrum, S.Si., M.Si. with an innovative creation entitled “Development of AI/MI-Based Educational Games to Support BIOL4215 Ecology, BIOL4412 Animal Ecology, and BIOL4214 Hydrobiology Courses”
Esti Kurniawati Mahardika, S.Pd., M.Pd. with an innovative creation entitled “Development of Educational Culture Learning Games as a Strategy to Increase Cultural Literacy for Early Childhood”
With the submission of Research, Community Service contracts, and the 2025 Catha Sancaya Awards, it is hoped that they can immediately realize their activities to provide real impact for the community and the advancement of science. This support is clear evidence of UT’s commitment to encouraging sustainable research and service innovation, while opening up opportunities for wider collaboration in various fields. Hopefully this sustainable research and service program will continue to be an inspiration for academics and practitioners to contribute to research and innovation-based development in the future.
