Semarang, Jawa Tengah (March 18) – To optimize the resources of Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) and 43 other higher education institutions, both public and private, across Jawa Tengah Province, the Jawa Tengah Provincial Government has signed a cooperation agreement. The signing ceremony took place at the Gradhika Bhakti Praja Building, within the Jawa Tengah Governor’s Office complex in Semarang, on Monday afternoon (March 17, 2025).
The Jawa Tengah Provincial Government has several programs that university rectors and their teams will oversee. The collaboration aims to integrate higher education resources—including education, research, and community service—into the province’s development initiatives.
Among the short-term programs to be carried out with UNDIP are the Thematic Community Service Program, which will be implemented in villages across the province, and a seawater desalination project designed to provide fresh water for coastal communities in Jawa Tengah.
“Collaboration is not just about signing an MoU; it is about implementing thematic partnerships that support regional development of Jawa Tengah—covering villages, village potential, MSMEs, desalination, and more. Academics play a key role in ensuring the success of development initiatives in the province,” said Jawa Tengah Governor Ahmad Luthfi.
UNDIP Rector, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., welcomed the initiative by the Jawa Tengah Provincial Government to involve universities in the region. He emphasized that each university could contribute according to its specific expertise.
“The outcomes will be much better compared to programs running without expert supervision. Universities exist, but their expertise has not always been fully utilized. We appreciate the approach taken by the provincial government from the outset, involving the Institute for Research and Community Service (Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat / LPPM) and universities in accordance with their respective competencies,” said Prof. Suharnomo.
UNDIP has developed a desalination machine capable of converting brackish and seawater into drinking water. This technology also addresses groundwater issues. Many industries currently rely heavily on groundwater for their operations, which, over time, can lead to land subsidence.
“If industries can adopt UNDIP’s desalination technology, they will no longer need to extract groundwater. Additionally, tidal floodwater (rob) can be processed into raw materials for industrial use or drinking water. This innovation is the program we are offering to the Jawa Tengah Provincial Government,” Prof. Suharnomo concluded.
The cooperation agreement between UNDIP and the Jawa Tengah Provincial Government was signed by the Regional Secretary of Jawa Tengah as the first party, with the UNDIP Rector and the Head of LPPM representing the second party. Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Public Communication, Wijayanto, S.IP., M.Si., along with other officials, was also present at the signing ceremony.
