Multimedia Nusantara University and WIR Group Collaborate to Develop Metaverse

MoU Signing Session by UMN and WIR Group (doc. UMN)

TANGERANG – Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN) collaborates with WIR Group, an Augmented Reality (AR) based technology company, to develop a metaverse technology platform and build superior and competitive human resources in technology. The memorandum of understanding for cooperation was signed by Dr. Ninok Leksono, M.Sc, the Chancellor of Multimedia Nusantara University, and Gupta Sitorus, the Chief Marketing Officer of WIR Group at the UMN Campus, Serpong, Tangerang, on Friday (1/4).

Through this collaboration, students will have the opportunity to explore and develop their potential through special programs that can support the educational curriculum on the UMN campus. Students will also be introduced to the world of Metaverse and will participate in developing Metaverse in Indonesia.

Ninok Leksono, Chancellor of Multimedia Nusantara University (doc. UMN)

Dr. Ninok shared that through this collaboration, the academic community of Multimedia Nusantara University is expected to realize one of the Tri Dharma goals of higher education, namely to produce the best human resources, especially in the field of technology through accelerating digital transformation.

“Development of increasingly sophisticated technology opens access in various fields, including the world of education. So. this provides the widest opportunity for the development of digital technology that is beneficial to society,” Ninok said.

Ninok added that this collaboration would encourage students’ interest to be more creative and innovative through research and development. So that students will not only focus on academic values but also on scientific development that the community can utilize.

“It is our commitment at UMN to always be updated with future technological developments. Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs for superior human resources in the field of digital technology who can support the realization of digital transformation in Indonesia and support the development of Metaverse Indonesia,” Ninok said.

Ninok believes that collaboration to develop metaverse at the UMN campus can run smoothly, considering that the campus, founded in 2006, focuses on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Hence, every preparation of the curriculums is based on IT. 

Also read Styles Digital World: Educational Forum for UMN Pictures Collaboration with Lippo Malls Indonesia

“UMN students have been equipped with knowledge and orientation towards ICT developments so that they are ready to face increasingly sophisticated technological changes,” Ninok said, who is also the former editor-in-chief of Kompas Cyber ​​Media.

Gupta Sitorus, Chief Marketing Officer of WIR Group (doc. UMN)

Meanwhile, Gupta said that the collaboration between WIR Group and UMN is one of the phases of many ecosystem development collaborations to support Metaverse Indonesia in the education sector. Previously, WIR Group collaborated with other campuses and the industrial and business sectors to build student and academic participation in the use and utilizing metaverse technology.

This collaboration with UMN is also an effort to enrich the ecosystem to support the development of Metaverse Indonesia, which will be demonstrated during the G20 presidency in Bali. “As a campus that focuses on the world of ICT, UMN will not find it difficult to adopt high technology and, of course, have the capability to develop Metaverse. We are certain that UMN has qualified resources to take a deeper role in the development of digital technology in the education sector and digital transformation in the future,” Gupta said.

“Metaverse is a necessity and applicable to all sectors including education, property, industry and the government. In principle, this is a collaboration created together to build a credible Indonesian metaverse. Collaborations certainly consider the competence of each party,” Gupta added.

Metaverse itself is a collaborative virtual universe concept that combines human interaction with avatars and various products and services between the real world and the digital world without boundaries. Thanks to the help of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence, everything can take place simultaneously and in parallel in Metaverse. Metaverse has great potential for people to interact, work, learn and carry out other activities in life as in the real world.

Photo session with UMN and WIR Group (doc. UMN)

“We believe that the collaboration with WIR, as a creative technology company with UMN, can shape the behavior among the student community to strengthen and create innovative technology in the future so that it is useful and can encourage the digital transformation of our society. This collaboration also allows students’ contributions to take part in the history of the development of the metaverse in Indonesia,” Gupta said.

Also read MMT UMN Takes the Initiative to Share Knowledge About Circular Economy

WIR Group is a company that focuses on Metaverse technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality, and Artificial Intelligence. The company holds five global patents for AR and is registered both nationally and under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which spans up to 153 countries worldwide.

About Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN)

UMN is a part of the Kompas Gramedia Group, inaugurated on the 20th of November 2006. In accordance with the vision of its founder, Jakob Oetama, UMN was built with a mission to participate in the nation’s intellectual life and promote the welfare of the nation through the implementation of higher education. UMN has received Institutional Accreditation “A” from the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT), ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance. Now UMN is heading to become a World Class University.

Since its inauguration in 2006. UMN currently has 14 study programs varying from associate’s degree, bachelor’s degrees to masters:

1. Associate’s Degree in Hospitality 
2. Bachelor’s degree in Informatics  
3. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering 
4. Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering 
5. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics 
6. Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems 
7. Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
8. Bachelor’s degree in Management 
9. Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science 
10. Bachelor’s degree in Digital Journalism 
11. Bachelor’s degree in Architecture 
12. Bachelor’s degree in Film & Animation
13. Master in Technology Management
14. Master in Communication Studies

UMN has also innovated by opening a study program with the Distance Learning (PJJ) method called UMN Digital Learning (UDL), where students can study remotely online anywhere. At this point, UMN has had more than eight thousand graduates spread throughout Indonesia and abroad.

About WIR Group

WIR Group is one of the pioneers of augmented reality (AR) based companies in Southeast Asia that has provided solutions for dozens of foreign industries by combining immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In their most significant innovation, called Metaverse Indonesia, WIR Group presents the Metaverse world experience by prioritizing elements of local wisdom of Indonesian culture. As one of Indonesia’s metaverse software technology companies, WIR Group will introduce the Indonesian metaverse prototype at the 2022 G20 Indonesia Presidency. 

Since 2009, WIR Group has completed thousands of projects and served more than 20 countries, including the United States, Germany, Spain, Nigeria, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar, and many more. WIR Group has also received many international recognitions: 

1. Excellent Communications Design Apps at the German Design Award 2020. 
2. AR Best Campaign at the Augmented World Expo’s 7th Annual Auggie Awards 2015 and 2016 in Silicon Valley. 
3. i40 (Innovation 40) from The New Economy London at the London Stock Exchange. 
4. Forbes’ Metaverse Tech Companies to Watch in 2022.

Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan | International Program, di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. www.umn.ac.id