Nusantarazation in Action: CPR-USM and UTU Strengthen Academic and Community Partnerships
17 November 2025
The collaboration between Centre for Policy Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universitas Teuku Umar (UTU) marks an important step forward in enhancing regional academic cooperation rooted in Nusantara values and epistemologies. Coordinated by CPR flagship program Maritime Nusantara & Sustainability Policy Initiative (MUTIARA) at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), USM, this partnership seeks to advance the Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi—education, research, and community engagement—through approaches grounded in the historical, cultural, and maritime continuities of the Nusantara world.
As part of this engagement, a delegation from UTU—including the Rector—visited USM for strategic discussions and academic exchange. During the visit, two members of the UTU delegation served as invited speakers at an event organised by CPR USM and organized by the MARITIME Initiative. The session formed part of the ongoing Nusantara Malay Archipelago Seminar Series, providing a platform for scholarly dialogue that reflects the shared heritage and interconnected realities of the region.
Objectives of the Programme (Nusantarazation-Oriented)
1. Enhancing International Academic Cooperation through Nusantara Epistemologies
The collaboration strengthens quality assurance and academic development by incorporating regional wisdom, historical experiences, and decolonial perspectives, moving beyond conventional Eurocentric frameworks.
2. Deepening Tridharma Implementation through Regional Continuities
Follow-up actions on existing agreements emphasise activities that resonate with the socio-cultural and maritime landscapes of Aceh and the broader Malay–Indonesian world, ensuring that knowledge production remains relevant to local communities.
3. Expanding Mobility and Knowledge Circulation across the Nusantara Region
Student and staff mobility—including exchanges, internships, team teaching, guest lectures, joint publications, international conferences, and community-focused programmes—is framed around shared regional priorities such as maritime governance, cultural resilience, and post-conflict transformation.
CPR–USM - UTU Signing and Agreed Initiatives
Advancing a Connected Nusantara**
Two major initiatives were reaffirmed and formalised during the collaboration meeting, each aligned with a Nusantarazation ethos:
Proposed Initiative 1. Guest Lecture Series Implementation
Organised under M.U.T.I.A.R.A Initiative: Maritime Nusantara & Sustainability Policy Initiative (CPR-USM)
Theme: “20 Years After the Aceh Peace Accord: From Conflict to Democracy – Political Transformation of Aceh Through Local Parties.”
These lectures are to highlight Aceh’s longstanding role as a maritime and cultural centre of the Nusantara region, situating its political transformation within a broader narrative of resilience, autonomy, and regional interconnectedness.
Proposed Initiative 2. International Collaborative Research (RKLN)
Title: “Developing a Partnership Model for the Sustainability of Traditional Fishermen on the Southwest Coast of Aceh.”
This research initiative foregrounds traditional fishing communities as knowledge holders critical to sustainable maritime policy. In line with Nusantarazation principles, it:
- acknowledges indigenous ecological wisdom and culturally rooted practices;
- avoids extractive research approaches;
- prioritises partnership models that protect autonomy, dignity, and long-term socio-economic resilience.
The project contributes to policy frameworks grounded in Nusantara maritime heritage and responsive to local realities.