Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) welcomes the opportunity to cooperate with PT. INKA (Persero). To follow up on this opportunity, UNY sent 17 study program coordinators, lecturers, working groups, and a technical team for domestic partnerships on 27 May 2022 to Madiun. At the previous roadshow of PT. INKA (Persero) at UNY, PT INKA has explained their needs and desires in the future, and both parties have signed an agreement to collaborate.
President Director of PT. INKA Madiun, Budi Noviantoro, said that PT. INKA has two factories, namely in Madiun and Banyuwangi, whose job is to make trains with the primary customer of PT Kereta Api Indonesia. According to him, as a company, INKA does not have funds for research. That is why they need to cooperate with universities. The CEO of INKA explained that his company received many projects from abroad, such as Mongolia, Congo, and Thailand. "Hopefully, this collaboration with universities can provide a win-win solution for all parties," Budi Noviantoro said.
According to the development director of PT. INKA, Agung Sedajoe, one of INKA's targets, is the fast train which, according to BPPT, China, and Japan, is feasible to be implemented on Java. "INKA is ready for that with its technology, such as lightweight materials, bogies that can go at speeds above 160 km/hour, and aerodynamics," he said. Furthermore, the full support given by PT INKA to build a supply chain and prioritize domestic industrial products allows it to develop high-tech products. In addition, various kinds of human resource development are carried out to support the achievement of high-speed rail technology development. In the future, according to Agung Sedajoe, the projects that are being developed at INKA are hybrid trains and electric rail trains. At the same time, INKA is also prepared to develop electric buses, autonomous mass transit, mining vehicles, double cabin 4 X 4, and dump trucks. These needs are one of the reasons INKA invites collaboration with universities in addition to developing products and providing internship facilities for lecturers and students.
Vice-Rector for Planning and Cooperation of UNY, Prof. Siswantoyo, said that this collaborative activity with PT INKA is an implementation for emancipation campus learning activities launched by the Ministry of Education and Culture. "With this collaboration, PT. INKA can send practitioners to campus in collaboration with the Kedaireka matching fund program," said Siswantoyo. Both INKA and UNY will mutually enjoy benefits. UNY lecturers may share their knowledge or conduct joint research with INKA. It is also possible to develop a certified internship for students and a better curriculum that aligns with today's industry challenges. Ultimately, this collaboration will open more job opportunities for UNY's alumni. Prof. Siswantoyo mentioned that UNY has a partnership with the Ministry of Transportation, which oversees PT. INKA in various ways, including improving the quality of human resources and research fields.
UNY is one of ten universities that attend this event. INKA has set the participants into research booths, project management booths, human resources, and company development booths to ensure a more productive discussion. The result will be implemented accordingly based on the interest and research topics. The universities will also decide on lecturers and students participating in the joint program.
