Strengthening Bonds & Knowledge: UMK X UNPAD Empowering the Regional Livestock Sector
ENHANCING MALAYSIA–INDONESIA STRATEGIC COLLABORATION
From 9th to 13th February, Dr. Raja Ili Airina binti Raja Khalif, Associate Fellow of the Institute for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (IFSSA) and Senior Lecturer from the Faculty of Agro-Based Industry (FIAT), together with five students from FIAT, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), successfully carried out a Community Service (CSR) and academic mobility program at Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD). Fully sponsored by UNPAD, this program reflects the strong research and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Throughout the five-day program in Bandung, various technical and cultural activities were conducted, including:
This collaboration goes beyond knowledge exchange, serving as a key driver for the KAMI (Malaysia–Indonesia Academic Consortium) agenda. Through strategic discussions with the Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry at UNPAD, Prof. Dr. Ir. Rahmat Hidayat, both parties expressed commitment to overcoming logistical and biosecurity barriers for the sustainability of the livestock industry in the Nusantara region. Further collaborative initiatives are expected to be arranged in the near future.
At the Lembang Artificial Insemination Center, in addition to observing superior sires and facilities housing up to 4 million frozen straws, the delegation also experienced Mungguhan. This is a traditional Sundanese (West Java) practice of gathering and sharing meals with family and friends at the end of the month of Sha’ban in preparation for the arrival of Ramadan. Experiencing this cultural tradition, along with the warm hospitality of the Sundanese community, demonstrated that strong academic collaboration is rooted in sincere bonds of brotherhood.
It is hoped that this collaboration will continue to flourish, elevate the livestock industry, and inspire more collaborative initiatives under the KAMI framework.
