Udayana University Receives Audience from the Ministry of Trade to Discuss Potential Collaboration and Entrepreneurship Development

Udayana University (Unud) received an audience visit from the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia on Monday, November 10, 2025, at the Jimbaran Campus. This meeting marked the initial step toward exploring potential collaboration between the two parties, particularly in entrepreneurship development, business incubation, and capacity building for students and lecturers in trade and export fields.

The representatives from the Ministry of Trade were welcomed directly by the Rector of Udayana University, accompanied by the Vice Rector for Student Affairs (WR III), the Vice Rector for Planning, Cooperation, and Information (WR IV), the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the Head of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), the Head of the Business Incubator, UPIKS FEB Unud, and the Cooperation Division of Udayana University. The delegation from the Ministry of Trade included Acting Head of the Trade Policy Agency Mr. Johni Martha, Head of the Center for International Trade Policy Rifan Ardianto, Trade Policy Analyst Rino Adi Nugroho, Junior Planner Iqbal Musyaffa, and Technical Policy Reviewer Kunardhi Saroso.

In his remarks, the Rector of Udayana University, Prof. I Ketut Sudarsana, expressed his appreciation for the Ministry’s initiative to explore cooperation with Unud. “We are very pleased and welcome the Ministry of Trade’s plan for collaboration. Hopefully, the potential areas for cooperation can soon be realized. Unud is fully prepared, including through its business incubator, which is currently under LPPM,” he stated. He added that Unud is currently awaiting the finalization of the Draft Government Regulation (RPP) regarding the status of State Universities with Legal Entity (PTNBH), and he hoped the collaboration could begin with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to be followed by a Cooperation Agreement (PKS).

Meanwhile, Acting Head of the Trade Policy Agency explained that the main purpose of this audience was to facilitate the development of student and lecturer products into independent entrepreneurial ventures. “We aim to help build an entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus and support innovative products so they can compete in the market,” he said. He also added that the Ministry plans to explore business merging opportunities with entrepreneurs already partnered with the Ministry of Trade, including modern retailers that are required to allocate at least 20 percent of their sales to local products.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Trade also opened opportunities for export facilitation through participation in various exhibitions and partnerships with international trade institutions. “We hope that the businesses developed together with universities can continue sustainably and be evaluated every three years to ensure their long-term success,” he added.

The Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Ni Putu Wiwin Setyari, emphasized the importance of strengthening student competencies through professional certification. “Currently, the most in-demand certification is in export-import. In the near future, we hope to send selected students to join the incubation program directly trained by the Ministry of Trade,” she said.

As a follow-up, the Rector, Vice Rector for Student Affairs, and the Unud Business Incubator team will help facilitate information dissemination of this initiative to students. Through these concrete steps, Udayana University hopes that collaboration with the Ministry of Trade will strengthen the synergy between academia and the national trade sector, while nurturing resilient and globally competitive young entrepreneurs.