MAKASSAR – Hasanuddin University (Unhas) affirmed its direction of transformation as The Impactful University at its 70th Dies Natalis commemoration, themed “7 Decades of Unhas: Impactful and Global.” The transformation is marked by a shift in how the university’s performance is oriented, from administrative achievements to measuring the real impact generated through education, research, and innovation.
The 70th Dies Natalis Commemoration Ceremony was held at Baruga A.P. Pettarani, Unhas Tamalanrea Campus, Makassar, on Thursday (10 September). The ceremony was opened by Unhas Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc.
In the remarks, Prof. JJ stressed that universities need to move beyond the function of producing expertise toward becoming institutions that deliver real solutions for society and strengthen national resilience. This transformation is reflected in the way Unhas now evaluates institutional performance, from administrative achievements to measuring real outcomes.
A university’s success is increasingly judged by the extent to which research results can be applied as economic solutions, patents can be commercialized, and graduates are absorbed into the formal workforce. This approach holds that academic processes do not stop at producing knowledge but continue through to its use.
“In terms of global academic reputation, this direction goes hand in hand with an improved position in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Unhas broke into the 851–900 group worldwide. At the Asian level, Unhas also rose to 201st in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026. That position places Unhas 57th in Southeast Asia and among the top 10 universities in Indonesia,” explained Prof. JJ.
Prof. JJ further added that the Impactful and Global Unhas concept is realized through integrating the Tridharma of Higher Education with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2026, Unhas rose from the 401–600 group worldwide in 2024 and 2025 to the 201–300 group worldwide in 2026. The impact of region-based research is also reflected in its achievements in SDG 1, ranked 58th in the world, SDG 15, ranked 87th, SDG 3 in the 101–200 group, and SDG 17 in the 201–300 group worldwide.
The impact is seen more concretely in the use of Unhas research results in society. A total of 139 research results have been used directly, such as the Alope Chicken as a superior local chicken, Jagung Jago corn as an adaptive corn to support food security, and the Unhas Drone as a precision technology for regional mapping and disaster mitigation.
“These achievements show that research impact is measured by its ability to meet real needs, while also strengthening Unhas’s role in producing knowledge and innovation that are relevant to society,” added Prof. JJ.
South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman affirmed the commitment to supporting Unhas innovations that can address real problems in society. The governor asked that research with a problem-solving function that can provide direct benefits to society be submitted to the government so it can be developed further.
According to Governor Andi Sudirman, universities hold a strategic position in producing knowledge that can be translated into solutions for various regional development problems. The governor considers that investment in innovation and human resources has stronger long-term value than infrastructure development.
“Investment in innovation is far stronger than the infrastructure I build. A smart and intelligent child means far more than what I build. Therefore, under budget efficiency, support needs to be given selectively, taking into account the targets, goals, and benefits to be achieved,” explained Andi Sudirman.
The South Sulawesi Governor also stressed the importance of pilot projects as a basis for scaling innovations up. Innovations that have gone through a pilot stage and demonstrated benefits are considered to have a stronger basis for receiving development support. The Governor urged Unhas to produce more innovative products to address society’s problems.
On this occasion, the South Sulawesi Provincial Government presented assistance worth Rp1.6 billion to Unhas, which will be used to build a mini soccer field and five 1 GT electric boats.
At this moment, Unhas launched five flagship programs, namely UNHAS PRIME, the UNHAS Excellent Performance Indicator (EPI), the Campus Immigration Point, Satu Data (One Data), and the Critical Mineral Institute.
The launch of the programs and the support strengthen Unhas’s steps as it enters its seventh decade by driving innovation, strengthening governance, and developing resources that benefit society and regional development. (*/mir)
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.