Pelita Harapan joins with foreign colleges
TANGERANG (JP): The University of Pelita Harapan (UPH) at Lippo Karawaci here signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday with several foreign universities and industrial companies to improve its students' knowledge and skills in industrial technology.
The MOU was signed by UPH's rector Johannes Oentoro and representatives of the foreign universities, including Griffith and La Trobe Universities of Australia and New Zealand's Wanganui Polytechnic School of Art and Design. Among the industrial companies were PT Siemens Indonesia and PT Festo and Suken Japan.
The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Education and Culture Wiranto Arismunandar, Dutch Ambassador Paul R. Brouwer, New Zealand Ambassador Michael Green and Lippo Group chairman Mochtar Riady.
The signing of the MOU was intended mainly to enable UPH to further expand global cooperation and upgrade its technology facilities.
Johannes said in his speech that to survive and continue developing, universities were being forced to closely cooperate both among themselves and with industrial companies.
"Such cooperation is vital to enable us to catch up with recent achievements in the development of education and industrial technology," he said.
"But industrial technology is not the only issue. There are two major things we have to prioritize, namely technology for humanity and clear thinking and creativity," he said, although he added that the two could not really be separated when trying to develop people's intellect.
Wiranto said he expected other local universities to follow UPH's example in the cooperation field.
"The priority is how to improve the essential elements of education to enable each university to develop their own characteristics within the positive spirit of competition," he said.
The signing ceremony was followed by the opening of the Center for Industrial Technology, an industrial technology workshop displaying machine tools from Dutch companies under the coordination of STI (Systems Technologiques Industriels) Netherlands.
The center is equipped with six laboratories worth 4.8 million Dutch guilders (US$2.3 million), consisting of discrete and process technology, discrete production, process orientated production, CAD, CAM and CAE technologies, CNC techniques and material technology.
Brouwer expressed confidence that the center could contribute to the improvement of industrial technology in Indonesia.
"The center here can function as a pilot project in industrial technology," he said.
The display of the equipment, along with a bazaar, competition, presentation and scientific oration, and seminars on economy and business, science and technology, and art and design, will run until tomorrow. (09)