UNU Jogja and KADIN DIY Sign MoU to Strengthen University–Industry Synergy for Regional Economic Growth

Yogyakarta – Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) and the Yogyakarta Special Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN DIY) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of the university’s three pillars of higher education: education, research, and community service.

The MoU was signed by UNU Jogja Acting Rector Dr. H. Fahmy Akbar Idries, S.E., M.M., and KADIN DIY Chair GKR Mangkubumi on the sidelines of the KADIN DIY Regional Leadership Meeting (Rapimda) at The Alana Hotel & Convention Center Yogyakarta on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

The proposed scope of cooperation between UNU Jogja and KADIN DIY includes the development of education, research, and community service, as well as student internship programs, work placements, and competency development.

Potential areas of collaboration also include human resource capacity building through training sessions, seminars, workshops, and other academic activities, as well as entrepreneurship, innovation, research commercialization, and the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and industry.

Held under the theme “People-Centered Economy for a Globally Competitive Indonesia: Upgrading MSMEs and Building a Higher-Quality DIY Economy,” the 2026 KADIN DIY Regional Leadership Meeting was officially opened by Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X.

In his remarks, Sri Sultan encouraged KADIN DIY to serve as a driving force for collaboration among businesses, financial institutions, and universities to support regional economic development.

He emphasized that regional economic progress must go hand in hand with improvements in public welfare. “Growth only finds its true meaning when opportunities for a better life reach people's homes,” he said.

Meanwhile, KADIN DIY Chair GKR Mangkubumi underscored the organization's role in fostering collaboration with various stakeholders, including universities, to generate tangible benefits for the community.

“Let us strengthen unity, set aside sectoral egos, and build productive collaborations. Let us prove that Yogyakarta's local potential can become an economic force to be reckoned with at both the national and international levels,” she said.

The 2026 KADIN DIY Regional Leadership Meeting was attended by hundreds of KADIN DIY officials and representatives of the Yogyakarta Special Region Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), the Deputy Head of Bank Indonesia's Yogyakarta Representative Office, the Head of the Yogyakarta Special Region Financial Services Authority (OJK), and heads of departments within the Yogyakarta Special Region Government.

UNU Jogja Acting Rector Fahmy Akbar Idries welcomed the signing of the MoU, describing it as an initial step toward strengthening synergy between higher education and industry.

In his guidance to the university community, he said the MoU should be followed up with concrete initiatives, given the wide range of opportunities that UNU Jogja and KADIN DIY could explore together, particularly to strengthen the implementation of the university's three pillars and support human resource development.

“Through this collaboration, UNU Jogja can contribute as a higher education institution by conducting research and fostering innovation, as well as commercializing research findings. These efforts can contribute to the business and industrial ecosystem while supporting economic development in the Yogyakarta Special Region,” he said.

The MoU also formalizes an existing collaboration between KADIN DIY and UNU Jogja, particularly through the Decarbonomics Center, one of UNU Jogja's research centers focusing on sustainability issues.

Decarbonomics Center Director Tri Susdinarjanti added that the MoU would serve as an umbrella framework for several collaborative initiatives currently being prepared by UNU Jogja and KADIN DIY.

These initiatives include decarbonization efforts in the tourism industry in the Yogyakarta Special Region, student internship programs and capacity building for lecturers serving as mentors, as well as joint efforts to promote the creative economy.

“All these initiatives will subsequently be formalized in Memoranda of Agreement (MoAs), which will serve as guidelines for both parties,” she concluded.*

Reporter : Arif