The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Jember, last month signed a cooperation agreement with the SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Ramapuram, India, and SASTRA Deemed-to-be University, India. The first signing, SRM Institute, Dean of FMIPA UNEJ Prof. Drs. Dafik, M.Sc., Ph.D., with Dr. R. Shivakumar, Chairman, SRM Group of Educational Institutions. The Dean of FMIPA appreciated the cooperation as a follow-up step from IBSC 2024, which invited Dr. Kamaraj as the keynote speaker. Five main activities were discussed, which are the agenda for the next three years, namely student exchanges and guest lecturer programs, joint development of academic programs in various fields of science, collaboration on international scientific research and publications, exchange of teaching materials and sources of academic information, and scientific activities.

“Through this cooperation, it is hoped that academic activities at the international level of FMIPA can be increased, as well as joint papers to improve the quality and quantity of FMIPA lecturer publications,” said Prof. Dafik. The second signing, by the Dean of FMIPA UNEJ, Prof. Drs. Dafik, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Vice Chancellor of SASTRA Deemed to be University, Dr. S. Vaidhyasubramaniam, Ph.D., GMP. Similar to the SRM Institute, this collaboration is a strategic step for FMIPA UNEJ to expand its international network and strengthen the quality of the Tridharma of higher education, especially in the fields of education and research.

After the signing ceremony, the activity continued with an interactive discussion session discussing the potential for collaborative research between the two institutions. In this session, the Dean of FMIPA UNEJ expressed his full support for increasing international collaboration, especially in the form of joint papers and academic mobility for lecturers and students. This activity was also attended by the heads of departments and study programs within FMIPA UNEJ.

Each representative explained the focus and direction of research from their study program, with the hope that overlapping research topics that are of common concern and have the opportunity to be developed collaboratively can be found. All activities were carried out online. In the signing of the MoU, the Dean of FMIPA was accompanied by Vice Dean I of FMIPA, Prof. Dra. Hari Sulistiyowati, M.Sc., Ph.D. “I am enthusiastic because FMIPA can do an international MoU with two foreign universities at once within a month,” concluded the Dean of FMIPA.