From cooperation to impact in Indonesia

How do international collaborations contribute to current societal challenges? With this question in mind, a delegation from THUAS traveled to Indonesia. The working visit included participation in the Indonesia NL Knowledge House, the WINNER 2026 conference, and meetings with local partners. The goal encompasses the transition from individual exchanges to long-term partnerships. 

The partnership between THUAS and Indonesia has been growing for years, partly due to earlier contacts between the Human Kinetic Technology programme and SteppingStonesBali. We are now focusing more on shared themes such as the energy transition, the development of technical talent, and resilient cities. This is driven by a clear principle: THUAS does not export ready-made Dutch solutions, but rather seeks diverse perspectives for complex, global problems. 

Innovative projects 

During the trip, the delegation explored new project formats with universities such as Airlangga (UNAIR), Universitas Triatma Mulya, and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS). This generated ideas for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Living Labs, in cooperation with the business community and local governments. 

Executive Board member Arend Hardorff explains: “With our visit, we demonstrated our explicit commitment to structural collaboration with our university partners in Indonesia. We would like to broaden these ties per partner to other domains within THUAS and deepen them towards research and master's education. The concrete funding opportunities discussed on both the Dutch and Indonesian sides can accelerate this process.” 

From network to impact 

Within the Dutch-Indonesian knowledge networks, THUAS adds practice-oriented research that connects theory with the professional field. cooperation forms the absolute foundation here: the institutions learn from each other and create new knowledge together. 

Wianda Visser, Adjunct Director of TIS, illustrates this with a practical example: “The multidisciplinary, hybrid approach within the Living Lab Urban Health with UNAIR creates a valuable exchange of knowledge and experience for both students and staff. This approach led to a sustainable follow-up and agreements with universities including ITS and Universitas Brawijaya. Together, we are setting up education and research projects with a similar structure, centered around themes that contribute to a sustainable, resilient society.”