The Academic Senate Professors’ Council of Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) held a webinar titled “UNDIP’s Professor Talk: Brainstorming by the Academic Senate Professors’ Council of Universitas Diponegoro” on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at 13:00 WIB. The event was conducted virtually via Zoom meeting and live-streamed on the official UNDIPTV YouTube channel. The theme of the webinar was “The Central Role of University Research Centers in Advancing Research Product Downstreaming and Innovation.”
The event was officially opened by the Secretary of the UNDIP Professors’ Council, Prof. Denny Nugroho Sugianto, S.T., M.Si. In his remarks, Prof. Denny emphasized the importance of research centers as drivers of downstream and commercialization. “Currently, UNDIP has several research centers focusing on downstream and commercialization. Downstream research results highlight the need for collaboration between professors, businesses, and industries for the future,” he stated.
“This aligns with the government’s Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka program, which encourages students and faculty to engage directly as practitioners and collaborators with businesses and industries,” added Prof. Denny.
On the same occasion, the Chair of Commission B of the UNDIP Board of Professors, Prof. Dr. Heri Sutanto, S.Si., M.Si., F.Med., noted that research is one of the primary pillars of higher education. “The research outcomes produced by the academic community serve as milestones for advancing knowledge across various fields. The next critical step is ensuring these research outcomes can be directly utilized by society,” explained Prof. Heri.
“With research independence, research centers as a pillar supporting high-quality research will ensure better downstream outcomes, both in terms of quality and in addressing societal issues,” Prof. Heri added.
Moderated by Prof. Dr. Ir. Florentina Kusmiyati, M.Sc., the webinar featured three distinguished speakers. They are Prof. Dr. Ir. Erni Setyowati, M.T., a professor from the Faculty of Engineering UNDIP, presented on “Developing Research Centers for the Downstreaming of Research and Innovation Products”; Prof. Ir. Nizam, M.Sc., Ph.D., IPU, ASEAN Eng., a professor from the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, discussed “Programs for Research and Innovation Outcomes in Higher Education”; and Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Nur, DEA, a professor from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics UNDIP, delivered a presentation titled “The Central Role of University Research Centers in Advancing Research Product Downstreaming and Innovation: Insights from Plasma Technology in Indonesia.”
At the conclusion of the discussion, it was emphasized that universities must enhance innovation and develop entrepreneurial ecosystems within campuses. Research centers in higher education institutions play a crucial role in supporting the downstream commercialization of research products and innovations created by faculty members. Additionally, several recommendations were made, particularly for Legal Entity of State Universities (PTNBH), including transdisciplinary research within centralized research centers. (Hng-Public Relations)
