Higher education needs to improve synergies with industry. This cannot be separated from the fact that the problems that arise in the industry are actually very numerous and can become research material. To build good and mutually beneficial synergies, it is necessary to change the mindset of lecturers so that they can understand the work culture of the industry and at the same time open up opportunities for lecturers to carry out activities in the industry. This interesting claim was delivered by Prof. Dr. Eng. Kuwat Triyana, M.Si., from FMIPA UGM when delivering his speech at the 60th Anniversary ceremony of FMIPA uny, Monday, 2/9/24 in the faculty Seminar room.
One of the common obstacles that cause problems in the relationship between higher education and campus is the mission of each party that is not in sync. Researchers at universities excel in finding difficult problems and have the freedom to explore various solutions, while industry excels in taking those discoveries and developing them further.
“Many universities assume that once a prototype is developed, industry partners will naturally be interested in working together, or they can just sell it directly to consumers. Unfortunately, these approaches often prove difficult and ineffective. This challenge is not unique to Indonesia, but is a global problem that many institutions face. The key to overcoming these obstacles is by developing a strong downstream strategy, which ensures innovations do not just stop as prototypes but are also transformed into market-ready products that can contribute to economic development and societal progress,” said Prof. Kuwat Triyana.
Meanwhile, the Rector of UNY, Prof. Dr. Sumaryanto, M.Kes., AIFO in his speech said that FMIPA UNY has succeeded in developing several innovative products that are worth selling. “Definitively, UNY has received permission to start various development and downstream research activities at the Science Techno Park (STP) Piyungan. I hope that various UNY innovative products such as hand sanitizers, soaps, melons and other products can be immediately encouraged so that they are not just research results or prototypes so that they can have a wider impact,” said the Rector of UNY.
Dean of FMIPA UNY, Prof. Dr. Dadan Rosana, M.Si., stated that since 2022, there have been 18 international research titles involving FMIPA UNY lecturers. “For internationalization, several lecturers became visiting professors in foreign universities, namely Kismiantini, Ph.D., and Dr. Anna Rakhmawati, M.Si., to National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan, Prof. Dr. Suyanta, M.Si. at UPSI Malaysia,” he added.
