The Computer Science Cluster Team from Semarang State University and the Faculty of Computing at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) have officially strengthened their international collaboration. This collaboration is designed to encompass all aspects of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, with a primary focus on improving research quality, knowledge exchange, and academic mobility in the field of computer science. This strategic partnership aims to strengthen the position of both institutions as centers of technological excellence in the Southeast Asian region, in line with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnerships for Achieving the Goals.
The core of this collaboration lies in joint research collaboration involving expert lecturers from both parties. From the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics and Natural Sciences, UNNES, the research team consisting of Riza Arifudin, M.Cs., Zaenal Abidin, Ph.D., and Yahya Nur Ifriza, M.Kom., actively collaborates with their main partner at UMPSA, Dr. Ferda Ernawan. This joint research covers various areas of computer science, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), data mining, and distributed information systems. To accelerate knowledge transfer and research synergy that supports global innovation (in line with SDG 17), this collaboration also includes a Visiting Researcher program. Through this program, academics from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) of UNNES and UMPSA will alternately visit the partner campus to give guest lectures, mentor graduate students, and formulate joint research proposals for international funding, ultimately resulting in joint scientific publications.
In addition to research, this collaboration consistently implements a student mobility or student exchange program as a manifestation of its commitment to SDG 4: Quality Education. This program is part of FMIPA UNNES’s efforts to support the Freedom to Learn program and provide global experiences to its students. Several FMIPA UNNES students will have the opportunity to participate in a one-semester student exchange or a short course of several months at UMPSA, experiencing an international academic atmosphere and broadening their scientific horizons, particularly in the fields of computer systems and technology. This mobility program not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also enhances their cross-cultural understanding and professional networks, in line with the FMIPA UNNES vision of “Global Excellence.” Through this comprehensive, SDGs-oriented collaboration, the Computer Science Cluster of FMIPA UNNES and the Faculty of Computing UMPSA demonstrate their strong commitment to creating a dynamic and globally competitive academic ecosystem.
