The Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), has furthered its international collaboration. Dr. M. Fariz Fadillah Mardianto, M.Si. and Idrus Syahzaqi, S.Stat., M.Stat., took part in a program to strengthen academic collaboration and joint conference activities with the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (FST UKM), from 19–25 June 2026.

The visit was a follow-up to FST UKM’s earlier visit to UNAIR from 27 April to 1 May 2026. It forms part of UNAIR’s broader internationalization strategy to expand its academic network, boost institutional reputation, and strengthen its standing in global rankings such as QS World University Rankings (QS WUR) and THE.

Program Highlights

The main agenda of the visit was participation in the 3rd Multidisciplinary Regional Conference in Science and Technology (MRCST) 2026, hosted by FST UKM, covering fields such as physics and mathematics, biological science, chemical and food science, geoscience and earth science, and engineering.

Beyond the conference, the two lecturers also:

• Took part in a campus tour at FST UKM to learn about academic facilities, laboratories, research centers, and the learning system.
• Held two meetings to strengthen academic cooperation between FST UNAIR and FST UKM, discussing research collaboration, scientific publications, and lecturer and student exchange opportunities.
• Delivered a presentation on both institutions’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Served as committee members and poster presenters at MRCST 2026.

Outcomes and Impact

The program delivered several outcomes, including a regional scientific forum that gave students a platform to present their research, the formation of early-stage academic networks between lecturers and students across institutions, and increased participation of UNAIR lecturers and students in international forums.

The activity also directly supports IKU 5 (International Recognition of Lecturers’ and Students’ Work) and IKU 6 (Study Programs Partnering with World-Class Institutions), two Key Performance Indicators set by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

As part of the collaboration, the two institutions also signed an Implementation Agreement on Joint Research, Innovation and Community Development between the Statistics Modelling for Economic and Social Sciences (SMESS) Division at FST UNAIR and the Statistics Program, Department of Mathematical Sciences at FST UKM. The agreement, effective from 27 April 2026 to 27 April 2027, covers joint research, international co-publications, an Academic Peer List, community development activities, mobility programs, and joint supervision.

Next Steps

Moving forward, FST UNAIR and FST UKM plan to explore joint research under a research group scheme, a guest lecture for the Multivariate Time Series Analysis course, and joint student activities between UNAIR’s and UKM’s Statistics students to further strengthen their long-term partnership.

(This program was fully supported by the Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen internationalization and advance its position in the QS World University Rankings.)