Collaboration is critical for educational institutions. In addition to increasing capabilities, collaboration is also a platform for exchanging thoughts, ideas, and experiences to advance institutions and develop resources within them.
SBM ITB is aware of the role of collaboration, especially in improving research both in quality and quantity. Through the Decision Making and Strategic Negotiation (DMSN) expertise group, SBM ITB held a sharing and exploration of potential collaborations with the BUMN Center of Excellence Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNPAD.
“This collaboration will be carried out continuously,” says Santi Novani from the Decision Making and Strategic Negotiation expert group, SBM ITB.
According to Santi, collaboration is crucial, especially during a pandemic. The meeting was also attended by Mery Citra Sondari from the BUMN Center of Excellence UNPAD and Erna Herawati from FISIP UNPAD. In her presentation, Mery revealed that SBM ITB and BUMN Center of Excellence UNPAD could collaborate by exchanging research assistants.
“The BUMN Center facilitates the needs of research assistants who are undergraduate and postgraduate students within the framework of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM),” said Mery, who was previously an Alumni of SBM ITB.
Furthermore, SBM ITB can collaborate with the Study Center for Business Development and Creative Industries, FISIP UNPAD. Erna Herawati explained that this research center is closely related to SBM ITB, so research collaboration is promising. In addition, FISIP UNPAD also has a center for CSR, entrepreneurship, and community development studies which can also be explored in collaboration.
Mery revealed that SBM ITB and UNPAD could use a collaborative approach based on resources. The idea of collaboration was also strongly supported by Manahan Siallagan, Director of Big Data Analysis and Social Simulation Laboratory of SBM ITB. Manahan hoped that later there would be real action that could be carried out between the institutions.
Manahan, who is also a member of the DMSN expertise group of SBM-ITB, suggested that small steps should be taken before producing a larger program. Lastly, Manahan mentioned that at the next meeting, SBM ITB and UNPAD would collaborate in preparing research proposals to produce quality research and as a form of real implementation of collaboration between these institutions.