Driving Sustainable Development: UMN’s Focus on Global Best Practices and International Partnerships

Tangerang, 2024. Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN) has produced 61 joint publications in collaboration with international institutions, contributing to research that supports various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

These partnerships demonstrate UMN’s strong commitment to global impact through academic cooperation and knowledge exchange. Together with its partners, UMN has worked on diverse projects aligned with the SDGs, addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges and advancing the university’s mission to support sustainable development. 

Looking ahead, UMN aims to further expand these collaborations, focusing on innovative and sustainable solutions that cross national borders and deliver long-term benefits for both local and global communities. The complete list of our 2024 international research collaboration on SDGs themes can be found here. 

(Doc. UMN, 2024)

In 2024, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN) warmly welcomed the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and South Korea’s Deputy Minister of International Development Cooperation, Hahn Gyeong-Phil, in a follow-up visit to review the ongoing collaboration on the 4th Industrial Revolution Technical Center (KSU4IRTC). The visit included lab inspections and joint discussions on the development of the Smart Factory and Cloud Big Data facilities, as well as the introduction of Artificial Intelligence as a new area of focus in the training program. KOICA reaffirmed its support by extending the program until 2026, with renewed funding of USD 750. Since its inception, this initiative—run jointly with Silla University, has provided free training for around 170 alumni from universities in Banten and Greater Jakarta, equipping graduates and professionals with practical skills that directly support SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). 

Complementing this long-term partnership, UMN also creates platforms that encourage international collaboration and research. A key example is the 3rd International Conference on Smart Cities, Automation & Intelligent Computing Systems (ICON-SONICS 2023), organized with technical support from the IEEE Indonesia Section. The conference brought together leading researchers and industry experts to discuss advancements in smart cities, automation, and intelligent computing, areas directly tied to SDG 7 (Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities). More than just showcasing innovations, ICON-SONICS promoted cross-border collaboration and produced outputs that can be translated into international best practices.  

In addition to its collaboration with NGOs, UMN consistently fosters international academic exchange to promote global best practices in sustainability. Through its annual mobility program, which is specifically focused on sustainability, UMN encourages cross-border learning and the comparative study of SDG challenges in different contexts. This program allows students and faculty to engage with global peers, offering a broader perspective on effective strategies and fostering collaborative research opportunities. 

Depending on its commitment to sustainability, UMN regularly invites visiting professors from international partner universities, many of whom participate in community outreach initiatives focused on sustainability. These engagements not only enrich classroom learning but also extend to real-world impact, as visiting scholars often contribute to local sustainability programs and knowledge exchange with community stakeholders. By connecting academic mobility with practical outreach, UMN reinforces its commitment to developing internationally informed, locally relevant solutions for the SDGs, particularly in building strong global partnerships. 

These ongoing efforts reflect UMN’s commitment to fostering global partnerships and advancing sustainable solutions through education, research, and collaboration.