The Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of Hasanuddin University (Unhas) explored cooperation with Bina Nusantara University (Binus) on Thursday (16/05). Held at LPPM Unhas, this meeting was part of a program organized by the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Research and Development Center and the Karst Microbes Collaboration Research Center.

Attending the event, representing Unhas, were the Head of LPPM Unhas, Prof. Nasrum Massi; Head of the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Research and Development Center, Siti Halimah Larekeng; Head of the Biotechnology Research and Development Center, Irmawati; Deputy Dean for Partnership, Research, and Innovation at the Faculty of Forestry (FHut) Unhas, Syahidah, as well as FHut Unhas lecturers, Andi Siady Hamzah and Iswanto.

Representing Bina Nusantara University, Prof. Bens Pardamean and Arkam. Also present were Ince Ayu Khairana Kadriah, Endang Susianingsih, and Muliani, representing the National Research and Innovation Agency for Fisheries.

Opening the event, Halimah, Head of the Karst Microbes Research Center and initiator of the meeting, said that this initial meeting invited several researchers and lecturers in the fields of forestry and fisheries to explore possible collaborations and implementations.

The Head of LPPM Unhas, Prof. Narsum Massi, expressed his gratitude for Prof. Bens’ presence representing Binus and conveyed several forms of cooperation that could be carried out together.

“We can collaborate in two ways, first as experts through the internal research program at Unhas, and second through bilateral cooperation between Unhas, BRIN, and Binus,” he said.

Next, Prof. Bens introduced the IT Center project at Binus. The points of cooperation discussed were resource sharing and collaborative research. The future work will not be a small project that only produces articles, but rather one that is sustainable and leads to innovation.

“An example of what we can do is that Unhas does not need to purchase equipment. The Binus IT Center has servers and co-production for research that can be developed into artificial intelligence for data. Then the initial data related to Agrokompleks becomes the task of Unhas because Binus is not directly involved in this field, and the data will never run out, it will continue to exist, whether to be regulated or added,” he concluded.

This collaboration will be followed up with the development of a collaborative research roadmap. Unhas and BRIN will provide data based on their expertise, while BINUS IT Center will process the data and convert it into AI using their comprehensive IT technology, which Unhas does not yet possess.

The details of the next steps will be worked out together and implemented as soon as possible.