Uncen and PTFI collaborate to develop inclusive education in Papua
Jayapura (ANTARA) - Universitas Cenderawasih (Uncen) in Jayapura and PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Cooperation Agreement (PKS) to develop an inclusive and sustainable education ecosystem in Papua.
Rector of Universitas Cenderawasih, Oscar Oswald O. Wambrauw, stated in a press release received in Jayapura on Tuesday that collaboration between higher education institutions and industry is key to producing superior, adaptive human resources ready to face future challenges.
“Therefore, the synergy between Uncen and PT Freeport Indonesia is not merely an institutional partnership but a real commitment to building Papua’s future through education,” he said.
According to Oscar, the signing of this cooperation marks an important step in strengthening the strategic partnership between Universitas Cenderawasih and PT Freeport Indonesia.
“This is a continuation of a long journey of successful collaboration, including the historic handover of the Uncen Science and Partnership Building in December 2025,” he added.
PTFI President Director Tony Wenas stated that cooperation between companies and universities or educational institutions is crucial to align supply and demand requirements.
He explained that Freeport Indonesia and Uncen have a very close relationship history, with numerous collaborations conducted, from research on the Singing Dog in Grasberg, social anthropology research, research on customary land ownership of the Amungme tribe, and cooperation in the form of teaching.
“With pride and great pleasure, today we are signing the MoU between PTFI and Uncen, which will umbrella various collaborations in education development, research and innovation, human resource capacity building, and other collaborative programmes,” he said.
He added that the MoU between PTFI, Uncen, and Arizona State University aims to improve education quality towards higher accreditation, followed by the signing of the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) between PTFI and Uncen Jayapura for the practitioner teaching programme, with activities including thematic learning, seminars, training, and character education.
Currently, 332 Uncen alumni are working as professional employees at PTFI. The number of Uncen scholarship recipients from Freeport is 255, with 51 students currently active, expected to increase in the future.