Ministry of Higher Education Urges Universities to Strengthen Local Economies Through Research
Jakarta — Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Wamendiktisaintek), Stella Christie has urged universities across Indonesia to leverage their research capabilities to strengthen local economies through innovation grounded in indigenous knowledge and regional resources.
“Research is the lifeblood of university advancement. Through strong and sustained research, universities not only generate academic publications but also deliver concrete solutions that create added value for the economy and community welfare in their regions,” said Wamendiktisaintek in a statement issued in Jakarta on Sunday.
Deputy Minister Stella emphasised that universities have distinct roles compared to primary and secondary education institutions. Whilst basic and secondary education focus on knowledge transfer, universities bear a broader mandate: generating new knowledge through research and innovation.
She highlighted research initiatives at Riau University (Unri), including biomass energy and natural rubber exploitation, as exemplary projects with significant potential to support industry development based on regional resources whilst strengthening university contributions to regional economic development.
“In various countries, strong universities have always correlated with economic advancement in surrounding regions. Therefore, strengthening research at universities is crucial to generating innovations with impact for communities,” Stella noted.
Unri currently operates numerous research projects, including one utilising natural rubber latex as a binder in emulsion paint to replace synthetic imported materials previously used in the paint industry.
Beyond increasing the value-added of rubber commodities, this innovation has potential to strengthen an ecosystem of industries based on local natural resources whilst improving the welfare of rubber farmers.
“I see an important advantage in the research presented: there is a focus on local potential that constitutes regional strength. Given resource constraints, universities must identify a niche or field of excellence that can be developed sustainably,” Stella stated.
The Deputy Minister added that outstanding research must possess a clear research roadmap, measurable targets, and consideration of the surrounding ecosystem, including communities, industry, and local government.
She stressed the importance of strengthening downstream applications and economic analysis so that university research results can be more easily adopted by industry and communities.
Stella also confirmed that the government is promoting collaboration between universities and cooperatives through the Merah Putih (Red and White) Cooperative programme, enabling research outcomes to be directly utilised by communities.
“We want universities not only to produce academic publications but also to serve as a bridge transforming Indonesia’s natural wealth into innovations that deliver genuine benefits for communities and the economy,” Stella Christie concluded.