Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) continues to establish international collaborations with various partners. This collaboration is part of UNAIR’s commitment to implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. With respect to the commitment, UNAIR received a visit from the French Ambassador to Indonesia on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
The visit of H. E. Fabien Penone and his entourage were welcomed directly by UNAIR Rector, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nasih SE MT Ak and his staff. The meeting occurred in the Balairua Plenary Meeting Room, 4th Floor, MERR-C UNAIR Campus Management Office.
In his remarks, Prof. Nasih said that currently, UNAIR works with partners from various countries, including France. The collaborations include activities in the fields of academics, research, and community service.
“UNAIR has collaborated with more than ten institutions in France, especially in academics, research, and community service,” he said.
The urgency of collaboration
French Ambassador to Indonesia, H. E. Fabien Panone, expressed his interest in working with educational institutions in Indonesia, including UNAIR. The collaborations specifically aim to resolve global issues and strengthen the global economy.
“We need solid partners to solve global issues and strengthen the global economy. Indonesia is one of the countries that is already in France’s priorities, especially as a global cooperation partner,” he explained.
Fabien said that UNAIR is one of the universities that has made many important contributions to Indonesia. For this reason, collaboration is one of the important steps that must be taken by both parties immediately.
Form of collaborations
Furthermore, Fabien said that one form of collaborations that could be established between UNAIR and France was the exchange of students and academics. From 2017 to 2022, UNAIR and several partner institutions in France collaborated on student and staff mobility.
“The student exchange program is certainly one of the potential collaborations we will carry out. Later France will provide a program to invite UNAIR students to study and understand French culture,” the French Ambassador explained.
Furthermore, Fabien also said that collaboration in science, social humanities, and health research was one of the most promising collaborations between UNAIR and France.
The form of collaboration that will take place soon is a program called Photography and New Media Education for Youth Empowerment from 2-15 September 2023. The program is a collaboration between Wisma Jerman and IFI Surabaya. In this program, UNAIR, through the World University Association for Community Development (WUACD) and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), had the opportunity to become the main organizer. (*)