European-Indonesian Partnership for strengthening Higher Education on environmental and sustainable science in Indonesia

ongoing

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, has undergone significant socio-economic growth, yet faces pressing challenges in balancing environmental sustainability with economic development. The nation’s reliance on natural resource extraction has led to deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate vulnerabilities, necessitating urgent action. To mitigate these challenges, Indonesia commits to the green transition, e.g., via Climate and Environmental protection initiatives (e.g. the European Green Deal; farm-to-fork policy; Bio-diversity strategy); and through alignment with the SDGs. However, the country still struggles to mainstream sustainability education and inter- & transdisciplinary research is needed to address these challenges. The ENHANCE project, a collaboration between MSM, UGOE, UCSC, IPB, UPR, UNRAM and UNDANA, aims to modernize graduate education in environmental and sustainability sciences. It will enhance institutional capacities foster inter- & transdisciplinary research, and innovative teaching methodologies (e.g. PBL and AI integration) to equip graduates with more holistic perspectives and skills required for Indonesia’s green transition addressing complex challenges. It supports EU-Indonesia cooperation on climate action, digitalisation and human capital development while strengthening active multistakeholder partnerships with academia, government, industry, and society. The project consortium shall operate according to an integrated and problem-based approach, building on three pillars; i. capacitating institutions, ii. fostering educational innovation; iii. establishing transdisciplinary research schemes. ENHANCE will introduce new/revised graduate school modules (contextualised to local knowledge systems), improve teaching methodologies, and develop research-driven solutions tailored to Indonesia’s diverse biospheres. Moreover, the project will impact food nutrition security, economic development, and environmental resiliency.