Ready to Collaborate in Solving Environmental Issues, Rector of Udayana University Responds to Bali's Condition in Coordination Meeting with the Indonesian Minister of Environment

Jakarta – The Rector of Udayana University, Prof. Ir. I Ketut Sudarsana, ST, Ph.D, was one of the speakers at the coordination, dialogue, and collaboration event between the Indonesian Rector Forum (FRI) and the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Management Agency of the Republic of Indonesia. The event was held at the Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta on Monday, July 28, 2025.

This coordination meeting invited 41 rectors from FRI member universities, representing regions such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali-Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Papua, and Java. The event was also attended by officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Deputy Minister of Religious Higher Education and Science & Technology (Wamen Diktisaintek), Prof. Fauzan. The meeting was chaired directly by the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, to hear responses and input from each rector according to their respective regions.

On this occasion, the Rector of Udayana University, Prof. I Ketut Sudarsana, addressed the environmental challenges faced by the island of Bali. He noted the decreasing carrying capacity and environmental resilience caused by various factors such as tourism, urbanization, and climate change. These issues have led to a number of environmental problems, including increased land conversion for settlements, declining groundwater levels, deteriorating air quality, growing waste volume, river pollution, and the reduction of mangrove forest areas.

Therefore, he emphasized the urgent need to strengthen pentahelix collaboration—involving government, academia, the private sector, communities, and media—based on research and spatial data to resolve environmental issues. Udayana University, as an academic institution, is ready to take the lead in this collaboration. This aligns with the implementation of Tri Hita Karana values in the university's Tridharma of Higher Education, particularly the commitment to maintaining harmony between humans and their environment.

Udayana University possesses strong environmental research resources, both institutionally and individually. The university offers a Master's Program in Environmental Science, a Bachelor's Program in Environmental Engineering, the Center for Environmental Research (PPLH), a Living Laboratory, and other relevant study centers. Additionally, many of its lecturers are active researchers and practitioners in the environmental field, with several serving as expert groups for local government in managing environmental issues in Bali.

“This dialogue is a very important breakthrough to strengthen the role of universities in finding solutions to environmental problems through research and innovation, in order to become an impactful campus,” said the Rector of Udayana University during a testimonial interview after the event.

The event also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia and Udayana University.