ITB Establishes Partnership with Universitas Garut, Focusing on Potential Local Development and Sustainable Growth
By Yohana Aprilianna - Mahasiswa Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota, 2021
Editor Anggun Nindita
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id — Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) has strengthened its synergy with higher education institutions in West Java through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universitas Garut (UNIGA) on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. This occasion took place in the Rapim A Room, Rectorate Building of ITB, Jalan Tamansari, Bandung.
The collaboration agreement was formally signed by Prof. Dr. Ir. Tatacipta Dirgantara, M.T., Rector of ITB, and Dr. H. Irfan Nabhani Aulawi, M.T., Rector of Universitas Garut. The MoU opens opportunities for wide collaborations across multiple sectors, including environmental initiatives, economic development, and educational advancement. One of the primary focus areas of this partnership is the development of aquaculture.
Prof. Tatacipta Dirgantara expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. “We are always eager to partner with institutions that have a deep understanding of the issues within their respective regions and the ability to apply approaches that align with local resources,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Irfan Nabhani Aulawi emphasized that UNIGA is currently prioritizing community engagement, especially through the implementation of appropriate technology that is relevant with local needs. “Hopefully, through this collaboration, we can adopt many positive practices from ITB,” Dr. Irfan hoped.
On another note, Prof. Endah Sulistyawati, S.Si., Ph.D., Dean of the School of Life Sciences and Technology (SLST) ITB, highlighted the potential that aquaculture has as a highly promising technical issue to be developed within the framework of community engagement. She noted that community-oriented approaches would be more effective when carried out by the communities themselves. Prof. Endah expressed hope that this MoU would lead to a clearly defined model of collaboration, including specific roles for ITB in the initiative.
“As a starting point for this partnership, we will start with one collaborative focus. What we need to work on together is how to develop the framework,” stated Prof. Endah.
Dr. Irfan added even further that UNIGA holds many areas of potential collaboration that require the support of expertise from various study programs at ITB. In response, Prof. Tatacipta reaffirmed ITB’s readiness to support this collaboration comprehensively and to facilitate active participation from multiple relevant disciplines.
The partnership between ITB and UNIGA is expected to bring a positive impact on sustainable development in Garut and its surrounding areas.
Reporter: Yohana Aprilianna (Urban and Regional Planning, class of 2021)
Translator: Muhammad Faiz Satrio Pradiansyah (Microbiology, class of 2022)
