HSE University-St Petersburg Strengthens Russian-Indonesian Cooperation
At the International Partners' Week of HSE University-St Petersburg, the representatives of the leading technological university in Indonesia discussed the prospects of enhancing academic and business partnerships between the countries.
The delegation from the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) and Universitas Negeri Jakarta took part in the business programme of the International Partners' Week. The delegation included professor Agus Muhamad Hatta, Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation, Partnerships, and Alumni, and representatives of the Faculty of Creative Design, Digital Business and Management.
'The International Partners' Week strikes with its scope: it is a platform for academic, cultural and most importantly human communication. During panel and expert discussions, we covered such up-to-date topics as synergy of universities and business, the role of 'soft power' and the development of mirror laboratories in the sphere of social entrepreneurship. I also participated in the sessions on artificial intelligence and language processing. We particularly value the cooperation with HSE University-St Petersburg: ITS and HSE hold joint student fairs, and mobility programmes, and now we are preparing to launch a joint mirror laboratory', shares professor Agus Muhamad Hatta.
ITS representatives spoke at the expert sessions and shared their experience of the development of higher education and interaction with business in Indonesia. During the session 'Universities and Business: Synergy or Incompatibility?', the representatives from Serbia and Russia discussed the best practices for internships, the development of mixed educational programmes and the necessity of active involvement of business in shaping curriculum and supporting students. 'For a long time, the industry and universities in Indonesia had different opinions. The production sector was more oriented at manufacture than research and developments', underscored professor Agus Muhamad Hatta.
According to him, the government of Indonesia introduced a number of effective measures encouraging partnership, including fiscal incentives and a special programme supporting joint projects of universities and companies. Now, each university department has an industrial advisor, who annually assesses their curriculums, and the programme of 'independent studies' allows students to get academic credits for work with business.
The overall conclusion is that efficient cooperation between a university and business is the basis for training the sought-after specialists, introduction of innovations and social responsibility. The experience of Indonesia is important as an example of targeted incentives, state funds for support of startups and the development of infrastructure for interaction between education and industry.
On the Student Day of the IPW-2025, Indonesian experts delivered lectures on social entrepreneurship and innovative approaches to communications in emergency situations for students of HSE University-St Petersburg.
Professor Berto Mulia Wibawa held a lecture on social entrepreneurship and the experience of Indonesia in developing local communities through sustainable business models. Doctor Rahmatsyam Lakoro held a workshop on social-cultural campaigns for reducing natural disaster risks using the methods of participatory design.
The university representatives also took part in the Educational Fair at the International Partners' Week where students could learn more about academic mobility, short-term exchange programmes and education at top world universities.
'We tell about the programmes which we implement—bachelor's, master's and PhD—and also give a short review of our campus. As I work at the Faculty of Visual Communication Design, I answer all the questions related to design. Students are also interested in internships and exchange programmes. Now, we have about a hundred exchange students, mostly from France. We hope that more students from Russia will come to ITS', says doctor Rahmatsyam Lakoro.
This is how Diana Sharapova, 2nd-year student of the master's programme 'International Business in the Asia-Pacific Region', described her experience of participating in the exchange programme at the Indonesian university: 'In December, there was an opportunity to attend the Winter School at ITS. It was simply the best experience. I have been to Asia but Indonesia opened for me in a completely new way. We had a wonderful professor—Maria—as she asked us to call her. She was so vibrant, active and interesting. To go to Indonesia for the two-week Winter School, one has to know English well and be a student of a preferably international programme'.
The cooperation between HSE University-St Petersburg and Indonesian universities is dynamically developing. There are established partnerships with the University of Indonesia, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, BINUS University, Atma Jaya Catholic University and LSPR Institute of Communication and Business. In November 2023, in Indonesia, HSE University opened its representative office at Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya. This is an educational hub which has become an important platform for the development of academic and research ties with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
Enhanced Russian-Indonesian cooperation in education and research creates the basis for developing economic ties between the countries which is especially topical on the eve of SPIEF 2025—it will be an important platform for strengthening bilateral relations. At the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, the official delegation of the country will be headed by the president of Indonesia.