UNDIP, Semarang (20/5) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) officially established a strategic partnership with Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji (UMRAH), marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The event took place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM in the Rector’s Meeting Room, 2nd Floor of Widya Puraya Building, UNDIP Tembalang Campus, Semarang. The ceremony was attended by the Vice Rector for Research, Collaboration, and Public Communication, the Vice Dean for Resources of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, the Head of UPT K3L, UNDIP leadership representatives, and guests. This collaborative initiative reaffirms both institutions’ commitment to advancing the quality of higher education in Indonesia through sustainable synergy.
The cooperation focuses on strengthening the core pillars of the Three Pillars (Tridharma) of Higher Education, covering education, research, and community service programs. The distinctive regional characteristics and academic strengths of each university are expected to yield breakthrough innovations with broad societal impact.
UNDIP Rector, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si., warmly welcomed this collaborative momentum as an effort to accelerate institutional quality improvement. In his remarks, the Rector emphasized the importance of academic networking among universities in addressing increasingly complex global challenges.
“As an established university, UNDIP is fully committed to opening the widest possible opportunities for collaboration, including providing affirmation and support for the development of partner institutions such as UMRAH. Through the exchange of expertise, joint maritime research, and expanded opportunities for advanced studies for lecturers, we are not only reducing educational quality gaps between regions, but also jointly creating inclusive and tangible impacts for society,” he explained.
“Innovation at UNDIP is directed toward delivering direct benefits to the wider community (social impact). We encourage the downstream implementation of research conducted by lecturers and students, whether in technology, food security, or renewable energy, so that it does not merely become documents stored in libraries. This collaboration will pave the way for both institutions to work together in creating innovations that address real societal needs,” he added.
Similarly, Rector of Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji, Prof. Dr. Agung Dhamar Syakti, S.Pi., DEA., expressed optimism regarding the formal partnership. UMRAH, with its strong maritime focus, views UNDIP as a strategic partner for knowledge exchange and resource sharing.
“We come here to learn from a well-established university that serves as a role model. This movement is a real challenge, and we invite UNDIP to participate in cooperation through human resource development, research, and community service. We also invite UNDIP researchers to optimize the potential of the Riau Islands region, where 97% of the area consists of ocean. As an immediate step, we brought our SDGs Center Coordinator to study and adopt the Waste Management and Eco-Green Campus systems successfully implemented at UNDIP so that we can apply them at UMRAH,” he stated.
The Memorandum of Understanding will soon be followed up with concrete implementation. Operational activities will be regulated through more specific Cooperation Agreements at the faculty, study program, and research center levels within both institutions. This inter-university synergy is expected to provide broader access for students and lecturers to participate in various collaborative programs.
Through this strategic partnership, Universitas Diponegoro continues to demonstrate its commitment to building an inclusive, progressive, and future-oriented academic ecosystem. Strengthening institutional networks with UMRAH not only reinforces the position of both universities nationally but also realizes the institution’s broader vision. This commitment aligns with the spirit of noble and valuable UNDIP. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Riri)
