Unhas Rector: “Community resilience is born not from the ability to avoid change, but from the ability to learn, adapt, and work together in facing change.”
BANDUNG — Technology is changing fast. Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown from a new technology into a part of academic life, the world of work, and even public services. At the same time, cybersecurity, network resilience, and the digital access gap present challenges that are far from simple. In this situation, universities face new demands. Campuses are not enough if they only produce knowledge; they must also ensure that this knowledge can answer the problems that emerge amid change.
Hasanuddin University (Unhas) sees these developments as part of its long journey in the School on Internet (SOI) Asia. Since 2001, Unhas has taken part in a network that brings together educational and research institutions across the Asia-Pacific region through the use of internet technology for education, research, and human resource capacity building.
More than two decades later, the technological landscape has changed drastically. What was once centered on developing networks and access to digital education has now expanded to more complex issues, ranging from AI to digital space security.
Unhas Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. said that this change requires people to keep learning and adjusting.
“Community resilience is born not from the ability to avoid change, but from the ability to learn, adapt, and work together in facing change. This is where universities have an important responsibility to ensure that knowledge and technology provide real benefits to society,” explained Prof. JJ.
This view places people as an important part of technological transformation. Digital progress concerns not only devices and infrastructure, but also the readiness of individuals and institutions to use them appropriately.
For this reason, capacity building needs serious attention. The exchange of knowledge needs to be followed by strengthening competencies, developing research, and using technology to meet educational and societal needs.
At the SOI Asia forum, Prof. JJ took part as a panelist alongside representatives of other member institutions. The discussion covered the role of universities in facing technological change, the development of AI, digital education, and the need to build more resilient networks.
Chair of the Unhas Institute for Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (LTDKA), Prof. Dr. Eng. Ir. Muhammad Niswar, S.T., M.InfoTech., explained that Unhas’s journey with SOI Asia shows how a network can endure as times change.
“Unhas has been part of the SOI Asia community since 2001. The Bandung Declaration 2026 is a reaffirmation that this network remains relevant in responding to technological developments and today’s needs for academic collaboration,” explained Prof. Niswar.
This relevance can be seen in the issues discussed at the forum. AI, cybersecurity, resilient networks, digital education, and joint research are now integrated into an agenda that is increasingly important for higher education institutions.
On the other hand, Unhas’s involvement gives the academic community opportunities to broaden access to knowledge, technology, and research partners across the Asia-Pacific region. The experience gained from the network is an asset for developing innovations that suit societal needs.
One important moment at the meeting was the signing of the SOI-Asia Bandung Declaration 2026 by Unhas Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. together with the leaders of SOI Asia member institutions.
The declaration reaffirms the commitment of the academic and research community to building a resilient global society by strengthening relations between institutions in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
For Unhas, the declaration also marks a journey that has lasted more than 25 years. Technology may keep changing, but the need to build people and institutions able to face it remains ongoing work.
From developing internet networks at the start of its involvement to facing the AI era today, Unhas continues to treat technology as part of efforts to strengthen education, research, and community service.
The SOI Asia 61st Meeting and 30th Anniversary Conference is a meeting of School on Internet (SOI) Asia members that discusses developments in technology, education, research, and the direction of the academic network in the Asia-Pacific region. The event was held at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Bandung, on 31 August–2 September 2026. (*/mir)
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.