I'MRC Forum and News

SURABAYA, 21 NOVEMBER 2018: Malaysia and Indonesia’s higher education institutions need to join forces and to go for strategic and high-impact collaborations on research and development programme to produce technology and experts in the field of renewable energy.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar emphasises on renewable energy as one of the key interests of the new government of Malaysia and the solution for the long-term energy security. Datuk Wahid is in Surabaya attending the Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium Seminar (I’MRC2018). I’M Research Consortium (Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium) is the Indonesia-Malaysia network of research-intensive universities and institutions, working together to foster institutional innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, student mobility, connecting students and staff, and wider advocacy for internationalisation.

The Ministry of Education through the Malaysia Research University Network (MRUN) supports this initiative fully, as RM1 million has been allocated for UTM to coordinate collaborations between universities in Malaysia and Indonesia under the consortium. Held at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), the seminar is jointly organised by UTM, ITS and Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), and it convenes researchers and faculty members from eight universities in Malaysia and 29 in Indonesia.

The opening ceremony will be held on 22 November 2018, and will be attended by the Director General, Strengthening of Research and Development, Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education Indonesia, Dr. Muhammad Dimyati; the Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education Malaysia, Datin Paduka Ir. Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir; Rector of ITS, Prof. Dr. Ir. Joni Hermana, and Rector of UM, Prof. Dr. Rofi’uddin.

The seminar is held following the successful Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium (I’MRC) forum organized by UTM on 18 May 2016 at UTM Kuala Lumpur Campus. With the theme “Development of Research Potential in Renewable Energy”, the seminar focuses on, among others, the development of advanced vehicles, biomass energy, bioenergy, gasification systems, geothermal energy, grid connected renewable energy, hydroelectric power, hydrogen energy, ocean thermal energy conversion, solar energy, wind energy, ICT for energy, and the infrastructure for energy.

 

JAKARTA, 2 OCTOBER 2017: HE Minister Dato’Seri Idris Jusoh, the Malaysian Minister of Higher Education (MHE) and HE Minister Mohamad Nasir, the Indonesian Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education Indonesia, were graduated from the University of Sains Malaysia (USM). Today, it is a special day for both Ministers as they chaired a bilateral meeting of the high level groups consists of policy makers from both Ministries, rectors and vice rectors from the Indonesian and Malaysian famous universities.

Opening his remarks, HE Minister Nasir welcomed HE Minister Jusoh and his delegation, who conducted a working visit to Indonesia and expressed their expressions in establishing collaboration with the Indonesian society to develop HESTI for both countries. HE Minister Nasir said that since the establishment of MoRTHE in October 2014, there have been lots of programs have been implemented, such as scholarship, joint research and development, and program of ‘KKN Kebangsaan’, that can be collaborated between two Countries.

Moreover, Minister Nasir also mentioned that within his three years of leadership, he has tried to promote more research commercialization as invention cannot be named by innovation, if it cannot be implemented to the society (people and or industries). HE Minister Nasir also mentioned that Indonesia has set up the RIRN (national research agenda in Indonesia, 2017 – 2045), which prioritizes ten areas in the future. Those tenth priority areas are food and agriculture, health and medicine, information and communication technology, energy (renewable and alternative energy), transportation, defense technology, advanced technology (including nanotechnology), maritime, disaster management, social and humanism.

Secretary General MoRTHE, Prof Ainun Naím also explained that higher education system in Indonesia has three main objectives, which are (i) education, (ii) implementing research and development, as well (iii) community development. The last one is very specific and unique in Indonesia, as not every country in the world applying the community development programs in their universities. ‘Kuliah Kerja Nyata”(KKN) a community development program in Indonesia is an obligatory program in the universities, in which that the higher education students are sent into the regional locations in Indonesia, who really need assistances from such Indonesian university students, in developing their regions. Moreover, This ‘KKN’ – community development programs have mutual benefits to the students and the society, and usually they establish the networking whole those students work for 2-6 months in a certain region. This KKN program is embedded in the formal education bachelor program in Indonesia.

Responding HE Minister Nasir, HE Minister Jusoh expressed his excitement for having opportunity for visiting Indonesia. He also shared recent development in higher education system in Malaysia. He said that Malaysia also concern on ‘’equality and originality’’ (kesetaraan dan kepunyaan) when establishing the collaboration with a Country. Malaysia realizes that establishing ‘’collaboration’’ is much more important than implementing ‘’competition’, nowadays. Therefore, there has been changing in the paradigm shift in Malaysia. He then said that Indonesia and Malaysia have been working together since decades, and by establishing collaboration, together they would be more productive in implementing the higher education programs, collaborative joint research, and other common interest programs. In addition, HE Minister Jusoh also informed the audience, that an Índonesia Malaysia Research Consortium has been established in early 2017, where the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November (ITS) Surabaya become the leaders of this consortium. Both leaders from UTM and Prof Joni Hermana then explained the collaboration that has been maintained since 2014, and hope that both Ministries will support such existing collaboration in the future.

In the efforts of accommodating active and excellent initiatives, ideas and programs from both academicians and scientists in both Countries, HE Minister Nasir proposed that an umbrella agreement on higher education development should be developed, so both Indonesian and Malaysian universities could generate all concrete programs following such agreement. Though some of the Indonesian universities and Malaysian universities are now having already their various MoUs, but still in the future, such umbrella Agreement in the Ministerial level is needed, so both steering committees from Indonesia and Malaysia may evaluate and review progress of the collaborative programs in the future. This umbrella Agreement, is hoped to be signed around November this year, and witnessed by both Leaders from Indonesia and Malaysia. 

 

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 MAY 2016: Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium (I’MRC) forum was held successfully by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) at UTM Kuala Lumpur Campus

The I’MRC is the Indonesia-Malaysia network of research-intensive universities and institution, working together to foster institutional innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, student mobility, connecting our students and staff, and wider advocacy for internationalisation. The forum was chaired by the Secretary General Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, Y. Bhg. Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang. It was attended by more than 70 delegates from more than 30 Malaysia and Indonesia institutions of higher learning, including Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Unversiti Putra Malaysia, Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember. The former Minister of National Education, Indonesia – Prof. Dr. Ir. Mohammad Nuh also joined the forum.

Followed by I’M RC Forum, a research engagement workshop was held in the afternoon. The workshop was chaired by Deputy Vice Chancellor-Research and Innovation of UTM, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail. Issues of research collaborations and joint supervision among the Indonesia and Malaysia Intitutions of Higher Learning were discussed.

 

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 FEBRUARY 2016: Discussion with Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang

Discussion on Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium (I’M Research Consortium) with Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang (Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education) in the Ministry of Higher Education, Putrajaya.

 

SURABAYA, 19 JANUARY 2016: Meeting with Prof. Dr. Ir. Mohammad Nuh

We would like to thank our colleagues at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) and Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya (PENS) for a good reception during our visit there, especially to Prof. Mohammad Nuh (former Indonesian Minister of National Education). Hopefully, our plan to establish the Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium (I’M Research Consortium) can proceed smoothly. Prof. Mohammad Nuh agreed to attend the I’M Research Consortium Forum which will be held at UTM, Johor Bahru, on May 18, 2016.

 

JAKARTA, 22 DECEMBER 2014: Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium Iniative by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).