Mataram, University of Mataram – University of Mataram (Unram) explores cooperation with the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB). This cooperation agreement was established between the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Faculty of Teacher Training and Education of Unram with the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science of IPB. This cooperation focuses on improving the achievement of IKU 6 at the Rector’s Conference Room, Unram Rectorate on Thursday (14/12).

Prof. Dr. Ir. Sitti Hilyana, M.Si., Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of Unram and Lecturer of Marine Science and Fisheries Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture of Unram in her speech said that this activity was very strategic.

“This activity is important and strategic because the marine and fisheries sector has an important role not just nationally but internationally and of course support to the government both nationally and regionally including at the district level. When we talk about national food, the marine and fisheries sector plays a very significant role,” he said.

Prof. Nana explained that the area of agricultural land continues to decrease by 110,000 hectares per year, reduced food substitution as a result of reduced land is obtained one of them from the marine and fisheries sector, so this sector plays an important role in fulfilling national food. The Rector of Unram is entrusted as the Coordinator of the National Food Patriot for Eastern Indonesia, so this cooperation is very strategic to do. In the future, through this collaboration, background preparation of activities and things that can and need to be prepared between study programs in the 3 faculties can be conducted as well as we can fulfill IKU 6.

Furthermore, Prof. Nana said that one important note especially for Unram was that the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) directly visited Unram in order to enlist the support of universities to be able to think about food including the marine and fisheries sector, this was a momentum to be able to establish a network and determine where this network would be taken. The network is not only one IPB network with one university but with various existing universities, so that there is synergy and collaboration in the marine and fisheries sector.

At the end of his speech, Prof. Nana expressed his hope for the establishment of this cooperation.

“The interesting thing is that one of the PBBS is marine medicine, we also need direction because incidentally IPB has been very advanced with regard to marine eco-tourism which will be directed there. Hopefully, this cooperation will bring good progress to the university, especially Unram because IPB is getting more advanced,” he said.

Dr. Syamsul Bahri Agus, S.Pi., M.Si as the Head of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences IPB expressed his gratitude for being well welcomed and very open to collaborate with Unram. He also hoped that the visit to Unram could be utilized to collaborate and synergize together and could produce good results.

“Alhamdulillah, I am always welcomed to Lombok, we are open to collaborating with Unram because the sea is not in Bogor so we feel that it is necessary to collaborate anywhere as long as it is towards a better direction,” he said.

Syamsul Bahri said that the Dean of the Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences of IPB was very supportive of this collaboration, hoping that through this collaboration there would not only be personal cooperation, but also legalized constitutional institutions. Syamsul Bahri then explained the strong reasons for the cooperation between IPB and Unram.

“The establishment of this cooperation is to encourage the achievement of IKU 6 and other IKUs, because Unram is one of the universities with a rapid IKU achievement. IKU 6 is one of the performance targets, so inevitably one of the things that is seen and assessed is international cooperation. Currently, our Marine Science and Technology (ITK) has also been included in the international class and of course this is one of our efforts to introduce ITK IPB which has collaborated with many study programs overseas. We are assigned by the Rector to develop the program so that it is in line with what was said earlier about how to find strategic things in Unram,” he said.

At the end of his speech, Syamsul Bahri said that IPB is required to be able to cooperate with other universities to develop. Syamsul hopes that IPB’s visit from Bogor to Mataram can produce good results and can utilize the existing opportunities as well as possible, collaborating and synergizing with each other.