1 October 2024
Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) alliance, based in the Netherlands, and the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology have signed a collaboration agreement to promote sustainable development and the construction of the new Indonesian capital, Nusantara.
The partnership, formalised through the Indonesian Netherlands Consortium on Sustainable Futures (INUCOST), aims to foster collaboration between LDE and five Indonesian universities: Universitas Mulawarman, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Airlangga, and Universitas Indonesia.
The collaboration will focus on areas such as health, digitalisation, tourism, heritage, green economy, and blue economy. LDE will contribute expertise in medical, ecological, and anthropological knowledge, while Delft Technology and Erasmus University will provide insights into technology and design. Minister Nadiem Makarim of Indonesia expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration.
A key aspect of the collaboration is the establishment of thesis labs, which will provide opportunities for students to conduct interdisciplinary research on topics related to sustainable development and the new capital.
The collaboration aligns with Indonesia’s broader efforts to attract international expertise and investment in higher education. In recent years, the Indonesian government has legalised foreign university campuses, making it easier for foreign institutions to establish a presence in the country.
As Indonesia continues to develop and grow, the LDE-Indonesia partnership offers a promising avenue for collaboration and innovation in sustainable development.
