BNI and Open University Collaborate to Strengthen Digitalisation of Research Funding
BNI and Open University Collaborate to Strengthen Digitalisation of Research Funding
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BNI, is expanding its strategic partnership with Open University (UT) through the implementation of a digital-based research fund management system within the Campus Financial Ecosystem framework. This collaboration was marked by the signing of an agreement for the use of BNI Virtual Account Debit for Research Funds in Jakarta, Tuesday (24/2).
Present at the event were UT’s Vice-Rector for Research, Cooperation and Business, Hendrian; Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service, UT, Dewi Artati Padmo Putri; Head of Institutional Banking Division 2, BNI, Donny Chairuman; and Head of Wholesale Transaction and Value Chain Division, BNI, I Gede Widya Anantayoga, along with their respective teams.
This collaboration enables research funds to be managed centrally, digitally, and recorded in real-time, thereby increasing transparency and accountability in the implementation of research and community service.
BNI’s Director of Institutional Affairs, Eko Setyo Nugroho, said that this step is part of BNI’s strategy to expand the penetration of integrated financial services in the education sector.
“This collaboration is a manifestation of BNI’s commitment to supporting digital transformation in the national education sector, while also providing a more transparent, secure, and accountable fund management solution,” said Eko in a written statement quoted on Wednesday (25/2/2026).
According to him, the digitalisation of research fund management is an important need for educational institutions with a large scale and high complexity of academic activities. Through a Virtual Account Debit-based system, each transaction can be monitored directly and documented systematically.
UT, as a state university with an open and distance learning system, has more than 768,000 active students spread across Indonesia and abroad. This scale of operation is considered to require support from an efficient and integrated financial system.
“BNI sees that strengthening this collaboration not only improves the quality of academic fund governance but also opens up opportunities for the development of integrated financial services in the higher education environment, including the optimisation of digital transactions, the management of institutional funds, and technology-based payment solutions,” Eko concluded.
With this expanded collaboration, BNI reaffirms its position as a strategic partner for educational institutions in driving the modernisation of campus financial management while also expanding the implementation of a digital financial ecosystem in the national education sector.
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