Mataram, University of Mataram – The Research and Community Service Institute of the University of Mataram (LPPM Unram) conducted an activity to equalize the perception of reviewers of research proposals and community service (PKM) in 2024. This activity took place in the LPPM Main Conference Room attended by 40 reviewers in the Unram environment on Wednesday (10/1).

In this meeting, LPPM Unram was attended by Prof. Dr. Ir. Sukartono, M.Agr. as Head of LPPM accompanied by Prof. Dr. Ir. I Gusti Putu Muliarta Aryana, MP. as Secretary; Head of Research Center, Prof. Ir. Buan Anshari, ST., M.Sc.(Eng)., Ph.D.; and Head of Data, Information and Quality Assurance Center, I Wayan Sudiarta, Ph.D..

Starting this event, the Head of LPPM Unram, Prof. Dr. Ir. Sukartono, M.Agr. in his speech said, “The priority program for the development of University of Mataram (Unram) in the 2021-2025 period is an effort to achieve “Unram Internationalization” in order to strengthen Unram’s competitiveness at the international level.”

Furthermore, the professor of the Faculty of Agriculture emphasized, “LPPM University of Mataram continues to move to accelerate the achievement of the Main Performance Indicators (KPI). Various efforts have been made to improve the achievement of the University of Mataram’s KPIs, especially those related to research and community service (PKM), this is certainly not apart from efforts to realize the vision to become an internationally competitive research-based higher education institution. One of the attempts made is to improve the quality of proposals, implementation and outcomes resulting from research and service activities carried out by lecturers / researchers within the University of Mataram.”

The implementation of the Tridharma of Higher Education at Unram must be integrated and programmed to achieve the vision, mission and goals that have been set. In the field of research and community service, the planning and implementation must be integrated and synergistic with the dharma of education. Research is directed according to needs, based on local resources, using international standard methods so as to produce science and technology to update learning and innovation that can be used by the community and can be internationally recognized.

On the same occasion, the Head of the Research Center of LPPM Unram, Prof. Ir. Buan Anshari, ST., M.Sc. (Eng)., Ph.D. explained, “The implementation of research at the University of Mataram is generally divided into two sources of funds, including funds from the Ministry of Education, Culture Research and Technology, as well as Unram’s internal funds as a Public Service Agency (BLU).”

Therefore, the policies and roadmaps for research and community service and their development have been outlined in the Research Master Plan (RIP) and the Community Service Program Strategic Plan (Renstra PPM). However, in 2020, the government has set a new policy for universities, the Independent Campus Learning Policy.

The policy is regulated by Permendikbud 03 of 2020 concerning National Higher Education Standards and Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 754 / P / 2020 concerning Main Performance Indicators for State Universities (IKU-PTN).

In addition to producing educators, Unram is also required to produce innovations that bring direct benefits to society. This shows that Unram has realized its obligation in conducting research and community service in addition to education. This is in line with the mandate outlined in Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System Article 20 and Law Number 12 of 2012 concerning Higher Education Article 45 which emphasizes that research in higher education is directed to develop science and technology, as well as improve the welfare of society and the nation’s competitiveness.

The article emphasizes that community service is an activity of the academic community in practicing and cultivating science and technology to promote general welfare and educate the nation’s life. In line with the implementation of research as part of the tridharma of higher education.

Unram through LPPM seeks to continue to monitor research and community service within Unram. Several research schemes offered in 2023 include 1) Research of beginner lecturers, 2) Acceleration of Head Lecturer, 3) Acceleration of Professor, 4) Capacity Building, and 5) Research Assignments.

Therefore, considering the importance of the role of reviewers in assessing the administrative adequacy and substance of research proposals, it is necessary to organize a “Review of Research and Community Service Proposals for State University in 2024” in order to facilitate planning, coordinating, evaluating, controlling and striving to continuously improve the relevance and standards of research and community service.