The first speaker who is currently the Secretary of LPPM ITB’s Research Department, Dr. rer. nat. Rino Rakhmata Mukti, S. Si., M. Si., explained that the low total factor conductivity contribution affecting economic growth is often coined with research; there is a correlation between the number of publications in a country with its economic growth.

“Indonesia’s global innovation index number is still low compared to other countries. Thus, ITB as an active university in terms of technology, the arts, and social humanities is responsible for resolving both nation and global problems by prioritizing the research resources,” she said.

Based on the Academic Senate’s Decree regarding ITB’s Research Priorities published in 2020, there are four preferred research topics to be developed: information and communication technology, transportation and energy engineering, infrastructures and disasters, as well as food and health. These topics are supported by artificial intelligence, big data, virtual reality, 5G, and Internet of Things (IoT). “The distribution of the topics is equal in terms of their priority,” she added. “ITB’s professors would have an interest towards these evenly-distributed priority topics that balances our strengths.”

Research Guide

LPPM ITB has issued several information to be abridged by academicians who wish to submit their research proposals. One of these is the Collaborative Research Program Guide of Indonesia 2021. Moreover, LPPM ITB owns some program guides outside their field of study, such as the 2021 International Conference Assistance Program Guide hosted by the lecturers of ITB.

This guide requires attention before writing a proposal because LPPM ITB has several assessment criteria in choosing a decent proposal to be funded. This sent proposal will be judged by the board of reviewers.

Community Service in ITB

Deny Willy Junaidy, S. Sn., M. T., Ph. D., the Secretary of LPPM ITB’s Community Service Department, explained more about the community service itself in LPPM ITB. He stated that community service activities are an obligation; however, these activities need to be designed to be accommodative through a selection system due to technical and administrative issues. There are four strategic targets in the act of community service: community empowerment, emergency mitigation and adaptation, the creative industry and tourism, and economic recovery.

There are 18 SDG points that serve as the foundation of community service, yet LPPM ITB expands these ideas into 24 points, ranging from education, water hygiene, sanitation to Covid-19.

“Despite not having much schematic outlines compared to the research department, the community service department has a quite diverse distribution of activities, consisting of top-down, bottom-up, assisted village program, economic recovery, Citarum Harum, and many more. LPPM ITB holds the priority to give the affirmation in the outermost regions and 3T because 95% of said activities are still conducted at the Java Island,” he reasoned.

Similar towards the research proposals, there are several assessment criteria to be kept in mind. The points that are considered to evaluate the community services proposal include the priority of the 3T area, benefits of the activities, potentials in their implementation, and the proposal’s quality with the composition of the proposed cost. All the explanations are written in LPPM ITB’s guide. Further information regarding research and community service in LPPM ITB can be accessed through www.lppm.itb.ac.id.

Reporter: Hanan Fadhilah Ramadhani 
Translator: Ruth Nathania