Yogyakarta, 20 October 2023─Gadjah Mada University collaborates with PT ExxonMobil Cepu Limited in the fields of education, research and community service. The signing of the collaboration was carried out at the Mandiri Auditorium, 4th floor, Fisipol UGM, as well as a Public Lecture with “The Role of the Oil and Gas Industry in the Energy Transition” as the theme (20/10). Apart from that, there was also a handover of academic support facilities from PT ExxonMobil Cepu Limited to Gadjah Mada University, represented by the Secretary of the UGM Directorate of Student Affairs, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, S.Sos., M.Sc.
On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding was signed by Muhammad Nurdin, Senior Vice President of Production of PT ExxonMobil Cepu Limited and Prof. Dr. Puji Astuti, S.Si., M.Sc., Apt Director of Global Partnerships and Relations representing UGM mentioned providing support in several activities such as research, organizing educational sessions or public lectures, training, internship opportunities and community development programs.
“This morning’s activity is the university’s strategy to bring students closer to the industrial sector. “In line with one of our MBKM programs, which is to improve the quality of student graduates, they must be exposed to current issues that need attention, one of them is industrial transition,” said Puji.
Puji emphasized that sufficient knowledge and skills can support students in adapting to the world of work. Through this memorandum of agreement, collaboration with ExxonMobil is expected to open up more opportunities for faculty and students to study at the industrial company PT ExxonMobil.
“On behalf of PT ExxonMobil Indonesia, we are very proud because today, we are not only strengthening cooperation between the academic world and the industrial sector in the areas of education development, research, and community service but also strengthening the cooperative relations that have existed so far,” said Nurdin.
ExxonMobil believes that this collaboration is a foundation for innovation and scalable solutions in facing the global energy challenges we are facing together. ExxonMobil believes in the important role of academia in the development of technology in the oil and gas industry and the application of a diverse and appropriate socio-economic approach to public policy.
Meanwhile, Prof. Ir. Sarjiya, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., Head of the UGM Center for Energy Studies, said that the energy transition needs to be carried out because energy has become the main need besides clothing, food, and shelter. The energy that has been used so far has resulted in climate change which has an impact on the entire world.
“There is the Paris Agreement which says to make the world greener (a more beautiful world with emissions),” explained Sarjiya.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti, Lecturer in International Relations at UGM, stated that there is a change in mindset at the global level regarding energy use, but this is not suitable for implementation in Indonesia, which still requires extraordinary amounts of energy for development.
“Indonesia does have a lot of resource potential, but it has not been well manifested to become actualized potential,” explained Poppy.
Poppy also said that there was a need for actor mapping, political commitment, mapping of technological mastery, and social acceptance to face the distribution of this energy transition. Meanwhile, this activity and collaboration supports the SDGs program point 7, Clean and Affordable Energy.