Professors from the Faculty of Life Sciences visit the University of Agriculture in Indonesia

Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 1 April 2016: Initial contact between the University of Bogor and the Faculty of Life Sciences was established last year during a visit to Germany by Professor Nastiti Indrasti and Dr Yandra Arkeman, both members of staff at the Faculty of Agricultural Industry in Bogor. At that time, IPB was seeking suitable German partners in the field of universities of applied sciences. The Faculty of Agricultural Industry in Bogor wishes to adapt the German university of applied sciences model to the Indonesian higher education landscape and establish polytechnic institutions that cooperate closely with industry. The faculty was therefore looking for a partner that could support and advise it on establishing these institutions in Indonesia. Owing to its international focus in research and teaching, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences was one of IPB’s two preferred candidates.

Following initial discussions last autumn, a return visit to Indonesia has now taken place, during which Prof. Kleinke and Prof. Fensterle took the opportunity to present the Faculty of Life Sciences and its key research areas, as well as Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences as a whole. At the same time, they were able to gain comprehensive insight from their Indonesian colleagues on site into their key research areas in bioenergy and agricultural technology, and to discuss opportunities for cooperation in the areas of student and staff exchanges and research.

“As well as the potential for research collaboration, a partnership with the IPB in Bogor offers our students a particularly excellent opportunity to gain experience in an international research environment and to develop their professional skills,” said Professor Kleinke on his return.

Based on these findings, a joint Letter of Intent is now being drawn up to formalise the collaboration and to take the next steps in the partnership.