Mataram, Universitas Mataram –

Rector of Universitas Mataram (Unram) inaugurated and took the oath of Dr. Ir. Sukartono, M.Agr. as the Chairman of the Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (LPPM) or Research and Community Service Institution, University of Mataram). He will serve for the period 2021 – 2025. The new official was sworn in on Friday (9/12) at the Ruang Sidang Senat Universitas Mataram.

Rector of Unram, Prof. Ir. Bambang Hari Kusumo, M.Agr.St., Ph.D. in his speech explained the challenges for the LPPM in the following year, especially in 2023-2024. It is said that LPPM will be the backbone of Unram, especially in achieving Key Performance Indicators (IKU) 5 related to research and community service. “Currently, IKU 5 has exceeded the minimum target set by the Ministry of Education and Culture, so we leave it to continue to maintain it and continue to improve, especially research performance,” he said.

2023, he continued, is the year of acceleration to achieve IKU, the year of acceleration to carry out reaccreditation, and the year of acceleration towards PTN-BH which is targeted in 2024. So in this case, the Rector of Unram hoped that many things related to research and community service carried out by LPPM as a very strategic institution keep accelerated next year. “Hopefully in this acceleration year, LPPM will make a tremendous contribution to the development and achievement,” explained Prof. Bambang.

Furthermore, the Professor from the Faculty of Agriculture Unram also explained the challenges that must be faced by LPPM Unram, related to the small number of journal publications indexed by Scopus as well as at the level of Sinta 1 and Sinta 2. Not only that, the Rector of Unram gave a message related to the publication of Unram’s journal. “In the future, please process these journals so that their performance will improve, so that there is a place to publish the work of our lecturers,” he said to the newly appointed Chairman of LPPM.

He also sent a message that Unram is maintaining the achievement of IKU 5. It is stated that the value or figure obtained by Unram from PTN-BH is related to the number of Unram researches that are still above average. “I beg for help for all of us so that we can implement the ‘One Lecturer, One Year, One Publication’ program immediately,” he said in the Senate Session room.

Not only that, Prof. Bambang requested that LPPM Unram continue to coordinate with other institutions. “For this reason, I advise everyone, that the follow-up of the meeting results is more important than just a meeting,” said Rector.

Regarding research, the Professor of the Faculty of Agriculture, Unram, admitted that the research conducted by Unram was still small in scale. For this reason, the Rector of Unram made a breakthrough, among the small researches will be made in a consortium. Like the consortium that has been involved in the Faculty of Engineering Unram that can create Electric Cars.

Finally, Prof. Bambang touched on the problem of devotion that needs a new breakthrough. Cooperation with local governments, cooperation with provincial governments, regency/city governments, can be a breakthrough to synergize. “So that Unram is not only an ivory tower but a water tower that provides many benefits, so that research and service can be adopted by the community and benefit the community itself,” he concluded.

In the inauguration, the Chairman and Secretary of the Senate, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Unram were also attended the oath taking session,  as wel as the Director of Postgraduate, the Chairman and Secretary of LPMPP, Secretary of LPPM, Head of Bureau, Section Coordinator, KTU LPPM, and Sub-Coordinator of LPPM.