Singapore (July 16th), The RI-SING University Network Faculty Immersion Program is a collaboration between five leading universities in Indonesia (UGM, UI, ITB, IPB, and ITS) and five universities in Singapore: Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). This program aims to strengthen collaboration and build relationships between universities in Indonesia and Singapore. The Faculty Immersion Program held from July 14-16, 2025, at NTU Singapore, aimed to explore research and project collaborations between NTU and five leading Indonesian universities in the fields of food science, food security & agritech, and sustainability in the life and social sciences.
This program was well-planned and engaging, managed by NTU International Engagement, with a professional staff overseeing the program’s rundown. Twenty-five participants from five universities were invited to attend presentations and discussions with schools leaders at NTU. The first day was filled with introductions to the entire NTU International Engagement team, INSPIRASI (Associate Prof. Dalton Tay), and resource persons who would present research materials. The second and third days were filled by schools leaders, including: Prof. Md. Saidul Islam from the School of Social Sciences; Prof. Viswanathan S. from the Business School; Prof. Peter Preiser from the School of Biological Sciences; Prof. Yusuf Ali from Experimental Medicine; Associate Prof. Tan Lay Poh from the School of Materials Science and Engineering; Associate Prof. Janice Lee, Dr. Shawn Lum, Assistant Prof. Yi Wen Zeng, and Assistant Prof. Pierre Taillardat from the Asian School of Environmental Science. NTU also provided opportunities for program participants to visit the INSPIRASI Laboratory, the Vertical Farming Laboratory at Sky Green, the Botanical Garden of Singapore, the MSE Laboratory, and the Tropical Ecology Laboratory.
Universitas Gadjah Mada, as a member of the RI-Sing University Network Faculty Program consortium, sent five lecturers to this program, one of whom was Dr. Dwi Umi Siswanti, S.Si., M.Si. from the Faculty of Biology. Dwi, in addition to her expertise in sustainable agriculture, is also a member of the Faculty of Biology’s Organic Waste Management Task Force and a member of the Waste Management Team at PIAT UGM. Dwi took this opportunity to have an in-depth discussion with Prof. Dalton from INSPIRASI. INSPIRASI is a collaborative research and education program initiated by the Ministry of Education of Singapore (MOECRT) and the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education for five raising universities: Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), University of Indonesia (UI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Institute of Technology Surabaya (ITS), and NTU. INSPIRASI focuses on smart and sustainable campuses, integrated sustainable waste management systems, and research into environmentally friendly campus technologies. The integrated sustainable waste management program overlaps with the organic waste management programs of the Faculty of Biology and PIAT UGM. Dwi explained that the waste management practices of the Faculty of Biology UGM and the utilisation of waste for organic farming are based on her research. INSPIRASI is interested in establishing a waste management collaboration at UGM.
The INSPIRASI program also offers undergraduate students from UGM to participate in an undergraduate immersion program, a program conducted at both universities. The first three years of study are conducted at UGM (the home university), followed by one year at NTU, resulting in a degree from UGM. This program can be continued with a Postgraduate Immersion program, which involves students adding a year at NTU and earning a Master’s degree from NTU. The NTU Doctoral Program (PhD) also accepts students from INSPIRASI members through two scholarship schemes: the LPDP-NTU PhD Scholarship, which awards 30 doctoral students per year, and the NTU PhD scholarship scheme.
Prof. Preiser from the School of Biological Sciences is offering research collaborations in the molecular mechanisms by which malaria parasites adapt to environmental change and research in food security. Meanwhile, Prof. Jennice Lee and her team are offering research collaborations in biodiversity, peatland restoration, and sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, Prof. Pooi See Lee, NTU’s Vice President of International Engagement, stated, “We sincerely hope this program will foster research collaborations between NTU and five leading universities in Indonesia.” Wanda Preiser, NTU’s Head of Office International Engagement, added, “If you contact one of our researchers, please let us know so we can assist you.” “We will report the results of this meeting to our Dean and hope for research and project collaboration with NTU, particularly regarding waste management at UGM,” Dwi concluded in response to Wanda’s request.
This faculty immersion program supports SDGs 3 (Good Healthy and Well Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for The Goals). (DUS)
