MAKASSAR – The Parepare City Government in South Sulawesi Province is committed to accelerating regional development, strengthening regional governance, and improving the quality of human resources. To that end, a partnership with a university is a strategic need, initiated through collaboration based on applied research and scientific studies.
This was the substance of the discussion in a meeting between the Unhas Rector (Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc) and the Mayor of Parepare (H. Tasming Hamid, SE., M.H.) after the Ceremony Commemorating the 70th Dies Natalis of Hasanuddin University.
Unhas Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc., stressed that the complexity of development problems at the regional level today demands solid synergy between city governments and universities, particularly in bringing campus research results into the public sphere.
“Regional development challenges can no longer be solved with conventional approaches. Sharp data and applied technological innovation are needed so that the programs carried out are efficient and sustainable,” said Prof. JJ.
The Unhas Rector urged all academic units and researchers at Unhas to step in right away and provide technical assistance, from strengthening local food security and environmental governance to regional planning and public health services.
“Unhas is committed to being present not merely to offer concepts on paper, but to oversee the implementation of concrete solutions in the field for the welfare of Parepare residents,” the Rector stressed.
At the same time, the Mayor of Parepare said that the transfer of expertise from Unhas is an essential step to boost the effectiveness of development programs and accelerate Parepare’s transformation into a competitive center of services and trade.
“The Parepare City Government greatly needs research and expertise support from Unhas so that we can address various regional problems in a measured and data-based way,” said Tasming Hamid.
Tasming affirmed that the Parepare City Government is ready to open as much space as possible for the Unhas academic community to pilot and apply campus innovations in an integrated way.
“We want the innovations born at Unhas to be applied directly by technical agencies to improve residents’ standard of living,” Tasming added.
The shared commitment and synergy roadmap were formalized through the signing of a Joint Agreement between Unhas and the Parepare City Government on the Implementation of Education, Research and Training, Community Service, and Human Resource Development.
The signing of the Joint Agreement took place on Thursday (10 September) in the Rector’s Office on the 8th floor of the Unhas Rectorate Building, Tamalanrea Campus, Makassar. It was signed in person by Unhas Rector Prof. Jamaluddin Jompa and Parepare Mayor Tasming Hamid.
Also attending were Prof. Dr. Alimuddin Unde, M.Si (Chair of the Unhas Board of Trustees (MWA)), Prof. Dr. Eng. Ir. Muhammad Isran Ramli, S.T., M.T., IPM., AER (Dean of the Unhas Faculty of Engineering), Prof. Dr. drg. Hasanuddin Thahir, MS, Sp.Perio. (Member of the Unhas MWA), and Prof. Muhammad Arsyad, S.P., M.Si., Ph.D. (Vice Chair for Community Service at the Unhas LPPM), along with heads of the regional government agencies (OPD) of the Parepare City Government.(/*san)
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.