The Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Rector Arif Satria and the Chancellor of Shizuoka Professional University of Agriculture (SPUA) Shigehiko Suzuki signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to agriculture and vocational education on March 2, 2023.
As part of this partnership, there will be a sharing of professors and students, coordination of educational and training initiatives, and collaboration on research and development.
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan and Micronesia Heri Akhmadi attended the MoU signing, accompanied by Yusli Wardiatno, the embassy’s Tokyo Education and Culture Attaché.
Potential opportunities
Akhmadi believes the collaboration between IPB and SPUA has the potential to generate a proficient agricultural workforce and boost both the quality and quantity of Indonesia’s agricultural commodity exports to Japan.
“Indonesia and Japan have very good cooperation in various fields, including education and research. I really hope the collaboration between IPB and SPUA can produce human resources who have practical skills and are able to boost agriculture as a prime mover of Indonesia’s economy and improve the quality and quantity of Indonesia’s agricultural commodity exports to Japan,” he said, as quoted from RM.id.
Suzuki also conveyed his gratitude for the assistance provided by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo for the successful signing of this MoU.
“We thank Ambassador Heri Akhmadi and the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo for supporting the signing of this MoU. We hope that this collaboration can provide great benefits for both parties,” he said.
Another partnership
Previously on March 1, 2023, the ASEAN Nagoya Center (ANC) and Takayama College of Car Technology (TCCT) signed an MoU in automotive technology, which was Indonesia’s Deputy Ambassador John Tjahjanto Boestami.
With the backing of the Takayama City government, this partnership aims to enable vocational school alumni from Indonesia to study at TCCT for a two-year period and subsequently become proficient laborers in Japan. The workers will then return to Indonesia to apply their newly acquired skills.
The Deputy Head of the Indonesian Representative Office in Tokyo and the Mayor of Takayama expressed their appreciation for this partnership and commended the ANC and TCCT for their endeavors to enhance the caliber of Indonesian human resources in the automotive field. The collaboration also aims to address the shortage of workers in Japan’s automotive industry.
More Indonesian universities collaboration
Many universities in Indonesia have been collaborating with foreign universities in agriculture, including:
- Mataram University, Udayana University, and Sam Ratulangi University collaborate with University of Adelaide CGFAR in agriculture and tourism, especially for the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
- Gadjah Mada University with its international partners such as Tokyo Foundation Japan, Southampton University UK, Volkswagen Foundation Germany, in agricultural and biosystem engineering.
- Andalas University with Slovak University of Agriculture (in exchange of lecturers and students and wheat research) and Zoologische Staatssammlung München (in joint research and publication and exchange of scientific information and researchers/technicians).
- UPN “Veteran” Yogyakarta with Ehime University dan Tokyo University Agricultural and Technology (TUAT) plans to increase cooperation for student and lecturer exchanges, as well as opportunities for further study by lecturers.
