IPB University and University of Ostrava, Czech Continue to Strengthen Cooperation
Department of Human Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava through the International Mobility Programme of Erasmus+ conducted visiting lecture activities, 8-11/5. This activity invited two lecturers from the Division of Regional Planning and Development, Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Managements, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, which were Prof Dr Ernan Rustiadi and Dr Andrea Emma Pravitasari. This activity is a continuation of the collaborative relationship between the University of Ostrava and IPB University, especially the student and staff mobility programme implemented between the two institutions since 2018.
On this occasion the teaching staff from IPB Univeristy Prof Dr Ernan Rustiadi and Dr Andrea Emma Pravitasari gave lectures related to the development of urban-rural areas in Southeast Asia, especially the phenomenon of urban expansion in the Jakarta-Bandung Mega Urban Region (JBMUR) as well as sustainability and spatial linkages in the JBMUR region which were attended by students of the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development, University of Ostrava.
Through this visiting lecture, Prof Ernan and Dr Emma conveyed to the audience that all the results of the research conducted are environmental-social-economic phenomena that are currently facing mega-urban areas in Southeast Asia, and how they will be sustainable in the future.
Prof Dr Ernan said, "JBMUR has gone through a period of rapid urbanisation growth."
In addition, Dr Emma added, "There are many challenges to achieving sustainable development at the village and kelurahan level in the JBMUR region."
Mr Lukas Las, PhD, lecturer at the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava and coordinator of the Erasmus+ International Mobility programme was very pleased and appreciative of the lectures delivered by Prof Dr Ernan and Dr Emma. "There is a lot of knowledge gained about the full picture of urban dynamics in Asia, especially Indonesia, and this is a useful learning for students in our department," he said.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the visiting lecture activities through the International Mobility Program from Erasmus+, Prof Dr Ernan and Dr Emma also visited two students of the Postgraduate Study Program in Regional Planning (PS PWL IPB University) who were participating in the Student Exchange Program with Erasmus scholarships for approximately three months, they were Purwatiningrum and Hetty Novita Agus.
"We are both very happy because lecturers from PS PWL IPB University can provide extraordinary material and provide an overview to our friends at the University of Ostrava related to the phenomenon of regional planning in Indonesia, especially JBMUR, very insightful," she said.
Regarding this, Dr Emma said, "This collaboration was indeed established five years ago, precisely in 2018, and has sent five IPB students with a scholarship program from Erasmus +, but because there was a COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the international mobility program organized by Erasmus + for (teaching staff / lecturers and students) had stopped and has begun to resume again since the end of 2021." He hopes that in the future there will be more IPB University students who can join this student exchange programme.
Prof Dr Ernan Rustiadi who is also the Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Agormaritime Development of IPB University stressed, "IPB University continues to encourage campus internationalisation by establishing various collaborations with world universities." Furthermore, he said, this internationalisation activity involves all elements of the academic community (teaching staff and students) to continue to play an active role in establishing collaboration, especially collaboration in the field of research. (VBS) (IAAS/RUM)
