Dr. Eng. Fitra Abdurrachman Bachtiar, S.T., M.Eng. together with Aditya Rachmadi, S.ST., M.TI., representing the Information Technology Education Study Program (PTI), Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Brawijaya (FILKOM UB) Saturday (27/09/2024) departed for Ritsumeikan University located in Ibaraki, Japan in an effort to strengthen international relations and improve the quality of research between the two parties. This visit is part of the Lecturer Works Program (DOKAR) to establish collaboration with the Affective Engineering and Computer Arts (AECAL) Laboratory at Ritsumeikan University.
In the DOKAR activity which lasted for two days (30/09/2024-01/10/2024), Fitra and Aditya were involved in a productive discussion with Prof. Eric Wallace Cooper from AECAL. The first day focused on discussing ongoing research projects at both institutions, as well as exploring potential collaboration schemes. The discussion resulted in an agreement that Ritsumeikan University would take three months to process the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) submitted by the PTI Study Program. While the MoA was being processed, both parties agreed to sign an Implementation Agreement (IA) focusing on the field of Affective Engineering. On the second day, discussions continued with AECAL members, emphasizing the practical implementation of the agreed research collaboration. The highlight of the visit was the signing of the IA by Prof. Eric representing Ritsumeikan University, marking the official start of the collaboration between the two universities.
This DOKAR aims to produce high-quality research and to build a strong professional network between lecturers and international institutions. This initiative is in line with FILKOM UB’s vision to become an international-scale faculty that excels in education, research, and community service. This collaboration is expected to provide significant contributions to the development of science and technology, especially in the field of Affective Engineering. Through the exchange of knowledge and experience between UB and Ritsumeikan University, it is hoped that new insights will emerge that can overcome the complex challenges in the world of higher education today.
Fitra, as the chief executive, hopes that this collaboration can improve FILKOM UB’s academic reputation in the international arena and provide a positive impact on the development of science in Indonesia.
“The success of this program will also be a real example of how cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration can bring positive changes in higher education and society as a whole,” concluded Fitra. (ar/rr/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
