Meeting Indonesian research partners for impact – Mamuju
Mamuju, 10 August 2025
The Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) program has met with government leaders in West Sulawesi to present its research projects and their impact on coastal communities.
This is the first time that PAIR research is being conducted in the province as part of an expanded program on the island of Sulawesi. The research is funded by Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (MoHEST), the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The PAIR team made a courtesy visit to the Governor of West Sulawesi, Dr H Suhardi Duka, who welcomed the research focus on the seaweed industry and expressed support for innovation that would help it become more sustainable.
Meetings were also held with the Maritime and Fisheries Office of West Sulawesi province (DKP Sulbar) and the Regional Development Planning, Research and Innovation Agency of West Sulawesi (BAPPERIDA Sulbar).
The Head of DKP Sulbar, Dr Suyuti Marzuki and Head of Marine Aquaculture Section, Mrs Roswati Panasa, expressed their strong support to PAIR research to help farmers improve their productivity while maintaining the environment.
The PAIR meeting in BAPPERIDA Sulbar was led by the Agency’s Secretary, Mr Muhammad Darwis Damir who shared the provincial priorities that are aligned with PAIR ambitions.
The head of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), Dr Nasir Badu represented the University of West Sulawesi (UNSULBAR).
Professor Suharman Hamzah, Co-Chair of the PAIR Universitas Hasanuddin (UNHAS) Secretariat, and partner investigator Dr Nur Indah Sari Arbit from UNSULBAR presented the research focus on seaweed and the concept of circular economy.
Further discussions centred on the economic and social challenges in the province and government initiatives. These included insights into the work being done by BAPPERIDA Sulbar in gender, disability and social inclusion.
The team also had a first-hand look at seaweed farms in Tadui Village and heard from local farmers.
The roundtables and meetings discussed all areas of the PAIR research including strengthening the industry’s economic viability, reducing plastic pollution and ensuring that women and minority groups are included in the research at all stages.
The PAIR program visits will continue this week at Universitas Halu Oleo in Kendari.
The PAIR program brings together researchers from leading universities in Indonesia and Australia to work on shared challenges around climate change in coastal communities. The PAIR Sulawesi program is funded by the governments of Indonesia and Australia with the support of the AIC’s ten founding university partners.
Learn more
Partner universities:
Ten university partners in the AIC consortium: Airlangga University, Bandung Institute of Technology, Gadjah Mada University, Hasanuddin University, IPB University, Monash University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, University of Indonesia, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland.
Nine regional partners join PAIR Sulawesi: Gorontalo State University, Halu Oleo University, Sam Ratulangi University,Tadulako University, West Sulawesi University, Mulawarman University, Kalimantan Institute of Technology, Pattimura University, Khairun University
Media enquiries to:
Helen Brown, Head Communications and Outreach
Mobile and WA + 61 417 359 177 | +62 811 190 5033
helen.brown@australiaindonesiacentre.org
Image: Governor of West Sulawesi Office
Featured / Berita utama
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