Semarang – The academic visit of Visiting Lecturer Associate Professor (AP) Dr. Norma Alias from the Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) was successfully held from 12 to 16 May 2025. For five days, a series of activities were carried out as part of community service and strengthening academic cooperation between the two institutions. The activities included several important agendas involving lecturers, students, and educators within UNNES and external partners.
One of the initial agendas was a community service activity at SMIT Bina Amal Semarang, in the form of an Expert Study. In this activity, Dr. Tri Sri Noor Asih from FMIPA UNNES and AP Dr. Norma Alias conveyed how high school students can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) wisely. In addition, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was also held regarding the plan to create Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as an effort to support access to quality digital education. In the discussion, AP Dr. Norma Alias based on his experience provides suggestions and input related to the formation of appropriate classes that are needed by the community.
On this visit, AP Dr. Norma Alias also gave a guest lecture in two courses, namely the Numerical Methods course and the Statistical Computation course. He provided an international perspective in the application of numerical methods and statistical analysis based on computation. In the Numerical Methods course he gave the title Numerical Methods in Artificial Intelligence: Foundations and Applications. While in the Statistical Computation course he took the title Statistical Computation in Artificial Intelligence: Principles, Methods and Applications.
Not only that, a book preparation workshop was also held to encourage joint scientific publications between authors from UTM and FMIPA UNNES. In closing, the FGD on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and learning also presented innovative ideas for the development of future research and education. This visit activity is expected to be the beginning of a broader collaboration in the fields of education, research, and community service between FMIPA UNNES and the Faculty of Science UTM. With this exchange of knowledge and experience, it is hoped that it can increase the academic competitiveness of both institutions on the international stage.
