VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - University of Indonesia (UI) and Durham University from England have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish more intensive educational and scientific research collaboration in several fields, particularly climate change.

"Today, we will not only engage in meaningful discussions, but also take an important moment to start signing the MoU, a document that will be the foundation for us to advance research, education, and cultural understanding," UI vice chancellor for human resources and assets, Dedi Priadi, said at the UI Depok Campus, West Java, on Wednesday.

He expressed the hope that the commitment will not be limited to releasing physical papers, but also serve as a step toward investing in the future of students, faculty, and the global community.

Durham University, which was founded in 1832, is one of the oldest and leading universities in the United Kingdom and has consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country. The university has a number of multi-disciplinary research institutes, one of which is the Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience, which focuses on disaster risk, including disasters caused by climate change.

Director of Durham University's international office, Charlie Pybus, said that his party has carried out several studies related to Indonesia, including how to deal with floods in Java, especially in Jakarta, and volcanoes.

"We see that there are similarities in research priorities between the UK and Indonesia, namely related to climate change and global health, low-carbon-based sustainable development, education, and technological development," he highlighted.

Deputy director of the UI School of Environmental Sciences (SIL), Dony Abdul Chalid, said that his party is also applying a multi-disciplinary approach in responding to environmental issues by involving lecturers and experts from several fields, including science, technology, social humanities, and health.

Durham University, which has an advantage in the field of biosciences, is very interested in collaborating with SIL UI, including collaborating on research on the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

Durham University's global pro-vice chancellor, Claire O'Malley, said there are a number of ways to deepen and broaden cooperation, one of which concerns political science and law and their relationship to climate justice.

Durham University and UI plan to develop research collaboration on climate change modeling technology. (Antaranews)