Universitas Terbuka (UT) once again demonstrated its existence as a leading university in academic innovation by hosting a meeting of the Association of Research and Community Service Institutions (LPPM) from 24 Legal Entity State Universities (PTNBH). This agenda also served as a forum for socializing the 2025 Indonesia Collaborative Research (RKI) and Indonesian Collaborative Community Service (PMKI) Programs.
Currently, researchers/lecturers are required to constantly produce works independently and are also required to be able to conduct research and community service (PkM) cooperation with other researchers within the country so that the research or PkM programs carried out can be more comprehensive and are expected to be able to encourage and strengthen collaboration with researchers abroad in an equal, balanced, and contributive position. This is considered important considering the rapid development of cross-disciplinary science and technology so that research cooperation or collaborative research is expected to improve the quality of research or PkM and ultimately can increase the number of publications from Indonesian researchers in reputable international scientific journals.
Although in recent years each university has made many memoranda of understanding or MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in the field of research and PkM, the realization in the field in following up the MoU has not been significant in number. Therefore, in order to increase the number of multi and cross-disciplinary research collaborations with other universities and increase the number of international publications at each university, this year the leaders of PTN-BH who oversee research and PkM are again holding the Indonesian Collaborative Research and PkM activities.
This event took place at the Universitas Terbuka Convention Center (UTCC), UT Center, South Tangerang. The event was attended by the Director General of Research and Development of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Fauzan Adziman, S.T., M.Eng., Chairman of the LPPM Association of PTNBH Dr. Yuli Setyo Indartono, S.T., M.T., Deputy Chairman of the LPPM Association of PTNBH, Prof. Dr. R Benny Riyanti, S.H., M.Hum., CN., Leaders of Institutions/Directors of Research and Community Service of PTNBH, Coordinator of Science and Technology Research and Development of BAPPENAS, Ade Faisal, S.T., M.Sc., Rector of UT Dr. Mohamad Yunus, S.S., M.A., UT Vice Rectors, Deans and Directors of the UT Postgraduate School, the board of the LPPM Association of PTNBH, and representatives from various PTNBH throughout Indonesia.
The Chair of LPPM UT, Prof. Dra. Dewi Artati Padmo Putri, M.A., Ph.D expressed her pride that at this time is a valuable moment, because UT as a relatively new PTNBH has the opportunity to host this prestigious event. Prof. Dewi also said that with the launch of the 2025 Indonesian Collaborative Research and Community Service Program, it will further strengthen synergy and also be positive between universities so that it will bring more benefits and empowerment to the community. “Hopefully the two programs initiated by the LPPM Association of PTNBH can encourage researchers/lecturers to always produce innovative works through research collaboration with other researchers in the country and produce outputs that can be published through reputable journals,” said Prof. Dewi.
The Rector of UT, Dr. Mohamad Yunus, S.S., M.A. in his speech emphasized the importance of synergy and collaboration in research and community service. “Of course, this forum not only strengthens research and community service collaboration but also strengthens scientific insight among researchers, increases the number of international journal publications, and improves the ranking of universities and also quality national and even global scale research cooperation. We believe that research and community service collaboration activities in 24 PTNBH will take place continuously,” he said.
Mohamad Yunus also emphasized that to support Golden Indonesia 2045, the academic community in Indonesia, especially in universities affiliated with PTNBH, carries a mandate and a key role, both in the social, economic and innovation, law enforcement, and ecology. “Achieving Golden Indonesia requires the support of all academics in mastering knowledge and competencies that are characterized. This is our common hope,” said Mohamad Yunus.
The RKI and PMKI programs themselves are flagship programs of the LPPM Association of PTNBH which aim to increase Indonesia’s academic competitiveness both nationally and globally. The results of this activity formulate the agenda, plan, and implementation of the Indonesian collaborative research and PkM program which then produces novelty from the innovations of science and technology in various fields of life. Through this activity, universities can build and expand research and PkM cooperation networks with leading universities in Indonesia, strengthen multi, inter, or cross-disciplinary scientific insights, and increase the number of international journal publications indexed by at least Scopus which will later improve university rankings in QS/THE.
With the holding of this meeting, UT not only strengthens its position as a center for distance learning, but also as an institution that actively encourages the transformation of research and innovation that is more inclusive and has a broad impact on society.
