Udayana University Establishes Collaboration with the Sikka Regency Government

Udayana University has established a collaboration with the Sikka Regency Government, marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Rector of Udayana University and the Regent of Sikka. The signing ceremony took place at the Postgraduate Building, Sudirman Campus, Denpasar, on Thursday (October 2, 2025). The event was attended by the Rector of Udayana University, the Vice Rector for Planning, Cooperation, and Information, the Dean and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, as well as the Regent of Sikka and his delegation.

In his remarks, Rector of Udayana University, Prof. I Ketut Sudarsana, stated that Udayana University bears a great responsibility in carrying out the Tri Dharma of Higher Education—education, research, and community service. The collaboration with the Sikka Regency Government, he said, is a tangible manifestation of the university’s commitment to delivering knowledge and innovation that bring direct benefits to society while strengthening regional institutions.

The agreement encompasses various areas, including the improvement of education quality and human resources, research to support local government policies, and community service activities through programs such as fieldwork (KKN), health services by medical residents, seminars, and workshops.

“We believe this collaboration will bring great benefits to the people of Sikka, while also expanding Udayana University’s role as a strategic partner in regional development. We extend our highest appreciation to the Regent of Sikka and his team for opening this space for collaboration. May this agreement foster a strong, sustainable synergy that mutually strengthens both parties in realizing a more advanced, healthy, and prosperous society,” said Prof. Sudarsana.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Sikka expressed his gratitude to Udayana University for its willingness to begin this partnership with the Sikka Regency Government. He explained that Sikka Regency is located on Flores Island, with Maumere as its capital. The regency consists of 21 districts with a population of around 340,000, making it one of the five most populous regencies in East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), which has a total population of approximately 4 million.

Sikka Regency is home to three hospitals—two private and one public. The two private hospitals are St. Gabriel General Hospital Kewapante Sikka and St. Elizabeth Hospital Lela, both managed by Catholic foundations, while Dr. TC Hillers General Hospital Maumere serves as a referral hospital for several surrounding regencies covering the central to eastern parts of Flores Island. Consequently, the need for doctors and medical specialists in the area remains high.

“Currently, we only have one obstetrician-gynecologist and one anesthesiologist. Therefore, we urgently need additional specialists in these fields. We sincerely hope for Udayana University’s support and collaboration to help meet the healthcare needs of our community in Sikka Regency,” the Regent said.

He further expressed optimism that this cooperation in the health sector will open more opportunities for Udayana University to engage closely with the people of Sikka. He also hoped that the collaboration would continue to grow stronger and extend to other sectors in the future.