
The Chancellor of Universitas Brawijaya (UB), Prof. Widodo S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D.Med.Sc, accepted an invitation from the President of Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand, in celebration of CMU’s 60th anniversary. This series of magnificent events took place from January 22 to 24, 2025 at the CMU campus, Thailand, and included various activities such as One-on-One Meeting, campus tour, Presidential Forum, and Dies Natalis Ceremony.
The 60th Anniversary of CMU was a prestigious event attended by 35 leading universities from various parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, France, Scotland, Japan, China, and several countries in the ASEAN region. Universitas Brawijaya was the only university representative from Indonesia in this event, a proud achievement that also strengthened UB’s position in the international arena.
One-on-One Meeting: Collaboration of Two Leading Universities
In the One-on-One Meeting session, Prof. Widodo congratulated the President of CMU, Prof. Dr. Pongruk Sribanditmongkol, M.D., for CMU’s extraordinary achievements. “Hopefully CMU will be even more brilliant and successful in the future,” said Prof. Widodo. This meeting was an important moment for the two leaders to discuss opportunities to strengthen collaboration in the fields of research, scientific publications, and student exchanges.

Prof. Widodo was accompanied by A. Aziz Jaziri (Expert Staff), while Prof. Pongruk was present with the CMU executive team, including Asst. Prof. Dr. Tanyanuparb Anantana, Ass. Prof. Worakanya Buranaphatthana, Assoc. Prof. Yuthana Phimolsiripol, Ph.D. (Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry), Assoc. Prof. Sutee Wangtueai, Ph.D. (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry), and Asst. Prof. Dr. Pavalee C.P. (Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry)
Presidential Forum: Navigating the Future of Higher Education
In the Presidential Forum session themed “Navigating the Future of Higher Education”, Prof. Widodo shared inspiring views through the topic “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Campus”. He highlighted the transformation of higher education into entrepreneurial universities that combine innovation, entrepreneurship, and business development in the tridharma of higher education.
Prof. Widodo emphasized that future universities must be able to:
- Integrate innovation into the curriculum,
- Commercialize research results, and
- Develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem through innovation centers, business incubators, and funding mechanisms.
“Entrepreneurial universities act as catalysts for economic development and social innovation by connecting education and research to market and community needs,” said Prof. Widodo.
As a successful example, Universitas Brawijaya has developed various innovation-based business units, including hospitals, agro-industry, drinking water production, and food businesses. UB is also actively establishing strategic partnerships with industry, startups, and alumni, which have a real impact on society while supporting financial sustainability.
Inspiration for Global Education
The presence of UB Chancellor in the celebration of CMU’s 60th Anniversary not only reflects UB’s commitment to strengthen international collaboration, but also becomes a forum for sharing best practices in building an adaptive and competitive future of higher education.
Through collaboration with CMU and other global partners, Universitas Brawijaya continues to demonstrate its role as a leading university that contributes to the development of science, entrepreneurship, and social innovation for the world (Jaziri/UB PR/ Trans. Iir).


