USK Visits University of Nottingham to Forge Eco Campus Collaboration
Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), through coordination of Office of International Affairs (OIA), has embarked on a tripartite collaboration with the University of Nottingham in Malaysia (UNM) and the Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF). This collaboration was officially built through the signing ceremony of a Letter of Intent on 25 April, 2024, at UNM Malaysia.
The collaboration covers initiatives focusing on Education for Sustainable Development, Resilient & Green City Development, Green Living for Sustainable Lifestyles, and Partnerships for A Sustainable Future. Its goal is to establish an Eco Campus environment that can be implemented at USK.
Delegations from USK were Prof. Taufiq Saidi, Vice Rector for Cooperation, Dr. Muzailin Affan, Chairman of the Office of International Affairs (OIA), Rahmad Dawood, Head of the Forest and Land Use Planning Center, and Dr. Nizamuddin, Head of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences’ Informatics Department.
Eco Campus serves as the foundation for the Eco Schools program, an initiative promoting sustainability within educational institutions, extending from classrooms to community involvement, engaging the next generation in action-based learning.
UNM, known for its environmental consciousness, possesses a network of stakeholders conducive to collaborations in this domain. It educates the future generation, fostering environmental awareness through curriculum, teaching, and research, supported by campus experiences and institutional leadership.
GGAF, an independent civil society organization, focuses on empowering youth in individual climate action. It collaborates with various universities and stakeholders to achieve its goals.
Dr. Muzailin Affan emphasized that the future objective of this program is for Indonesia, specifically Universitas Syiah Kuala, to lead the Eco Campus program under the University Network (UNINET) collaboration and to participate in the COP29 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference 2024.
The Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) UNINET, with its eight outstanding collaborations aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly focuses on environmental initiatives, aligning with the ongoing collaboration efforts.
Mr. Balamurugan Ratha Krishnan, Executive Director of GGAF, stated that GGAF has collaborated with various local and international affiliates, universities, industries, agencies/NGOs, and sponsors supporting its strategic programs. GGAF’s future goals, under the theme of Greening Education for A Sustainable Future, include implementing the Eco Schools program in 50 universities.
Previously, Dr. Muzailin Affan, representing USK and IMT-GT UNINET, successfully participated virtually in the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai, presenting on the Greening Education Partnership, striving to realize the planned programs.
Prof. Taufiq agreed to the launch of the Eco Campus program at USK, scheduled for release in August, with hopes that USK will emerge as a leading university in the field of Eco Campus, particularly within the IMT-GT UNINET region.
As additional information, UNM has established collaborations with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a non-governmental and non-profit organization promoting sustainable development through environmental education. FEE is active in five programs: Blue Flag, Eco-School, Young Environmental Reporter, Learning about Forests, and Green Key International. Therefore, it is anticipated that with the collaborative efforts initiated by USK, the desired outcomes will be achieved, propelling USK to greater prominence on the global stage.