As part of the Western Australia – East Java Universities Consortium (WAEJUC) Research Summit 2025, Universitas Brawijaya (UB) participated in strengthening research collaboration with universities in Western Australia. This activity took place in Perth, Australia, on April 28 to May 1, 2025, and became an important milestone in cross-country academic relations.
UB delegation was led directly by Prof. Dr. Unti Ludigdo, SE, MSA, Ak., (Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation) who was accompanied by Taufiq Ismail, Ph.D (Secretary of DRPM) and Brillyanes Sanawiri, PhD (Head of Sub-Directorate for Superior Innovation Management, DIKST).
WAEJUC is an implementation of the Sister State Agreement between East Java and Western Australia which has been ongoing since 2019. Within the framework of this consortium, more than 300 articles have been published through academic collaboration between universities. This year, the WAEJUC Research Summit focuses on strategic issues for continued collaboration, such as health, sustainable business economics, climate change, food security, and the use of the latest technology in industry.
This summit is sponsored by Invest and Trade Western Australia and involves 6 major universities from East Java, namely UB, Airlangga University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Malang State University, Surabaya State University, and UPN Veteran East Java with 5 universities in Western Australia, namely Murdoch University, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, and the University of Notre Dame with more than 100 academics involved. The event was held sequentially at each campus in Western Australia which presented discussion sessions and joint research presentations.
The event was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia, Dr. Siswo Pramono, the Indonesian Consulate General in Perth, and representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Western Australian State Government. The presence of these officials showed strong support for the development of cross-country academic partnerships.
The series of events included several main activities, namely the Opening and matchmaking session to build the WAEJUC and Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) network. Presentation of research potential and cross-campus funding opportunities in the consortium of campuses in Western Australia with campuses in East Java (WAEJUC). Then a meeting with academics and leaders of the Western Australian campus consortium, one of which was attended by Prof. Yuli Rahmawati, the Indonesian Education Attaché for Australia when at the University of Notre Dame. The activity ended with a closing organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australian Government.
As a follow-up, WAEJUC plans to hold a similar research summit in East Java at the end of 2025, which is expected to further strengthen the research network between the two countries and realize the research collaboration that has been planned. To strengthen this collaboration, PT in East Java that is part of the consortium is committed to allocating special funds for the WAEJUC Scheme Research. [pon/UB PR/ Trans. Iir]
