UNU Yogyakarta Deepens Indonesia–China Academic Collaboration, Welcomes Tianjin University President

Jakarta, Indonesia - Collaboration between Indonesia and China in bridging academia and industry continues to grow, as shown by the partnership between Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama (UNU) Yogyakarta and GEM Co. Ltd. The cooperation is expected to expand further, covering a wide range of areas including human resource development, applied science research, and cultural exchange. This commitment was reaffirmed during a visit by the delegation from Tianjin University and GEM Co. Ltd., attended by several UNU Yogyakarta leaders in Jakarta, October 13, 2025. The visit aimed to strengthen academic and industrial collaboration between Tianjin University and various Indonesian institutions.

The Chinese delegation was led by Prof. Chai Liyuan, President of Tianjin University, accompanied by Dr. Zhang Kun, Senior Vice President of GEM, while Prof. Xu Kaihua, Founder and Chairman of GEM, joined the event virtually from China. From UNU Yogyakarta, the delegation included Dr. Muhammad Najib Azca, Executive Chair of the University’s Governing Board, Ian Agisti, Deputy Director for Partnerships, Business, and Creative Funding, along with several unit directors.

This visit took place in the context of the ongoing strategic collaboration between UNU Yogyakarta and GEM to establish the Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Environmental Engineering Study Programs, with a planned opening in 2026.

Dr. Najib Azca expressed UNU Yogyakarta’s strong support for the growing synergy between academia and industry. “We are ready to deepen our collaboration with Chinese universities and companies,” he said.

Prof. Chai Liyuan commended UNU Yogyakarta’s initiative in advancing scientific development in metallurgy and urban mining, while emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary and intercultural cooperation through joint research and academic exchange.

“This collaboration should inspire Indonesian students to turn ideas into reality, theory into technology, and technology into industry,” said Prof. Chai, a renowned expert in metallurgical environmental engineering.

Meanwhile, Prof. Xu Kaihua reaffirmed GEM’s commitment to building a robust collaborative system with Indonesian universities, including UNU Yogyakarta. He described the initiative as a strategic project in China–Indonesia education and innovation cooperation.

“This partnership will become a flagship model for both countries and a point of global attention,” he noted.

Prof. Xu and UNU Yogyakarta leaders have held several reciprocal visits to follow up on the plan for the Future Faculty of Metallurgy. The new faculty will focus on advancing urban mining—the process of “mining” valuable materials from urban waste such as used electronics and vehicles through environmentally friendly recycling methods.

Once established, this study program, which focuses on urban mining at UNU Jogja, will become the first of its kind in the Asia–Pacific region, marking a significant milestone in sustainable education and green innovation between Indonesia and China. [Arif]