The instrumental role of universities in socio-economic development is today widely recognised. Enhancing links and cross-fertilisation between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their business environment in the interest of graduates' employability, improved competitiveness and growth is high on the agenda of policy makers and HEIs around the globe.The benefits of university-business cooperation are however as widely recognised as the difficulties that still exist in this field. Lack of integrated approaches and strategic management, inability to bring the different motivations closer, bureaucracy, and need to provide staff and students with the right skills are some of the obstacles generally identified.Challenges increase in countries with complex environments, like Indonesia. In addition to intricate institutional and regulatory frameworks and regional disparity in university capacity, evidence shows a generalised lack of understanding and trust, and little or no involvement of business stakeholders in HEIs’ strategies, what hampers productive university-business interaction. To bring the two sectors together, it is critical to create opportunities for structured vision and common work.SMART proposes a set of focused and complementary activities for enhanced university-business cooperation at Indonesian HEIs to help them identify opportunities for development, generate research-based knowledge, and contribute to the on-going education in the field. The project will facilitate the transfer of good practices from the EU to the PC HEIs; the set-up of professional units (Business Engagement Centres) at 7 PC HEIs and training to their staff to let them accompany students and researchers in making their business ventures a reality. The creation of a University-Business Network, as a platform for dialogue and exchange of experiences, and the Start-Up Nights and other stakeholders' events will also contribute to inspiring nation-wide change.

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.

"The leather industry in Indonesia can be improved with the introduction of sustainable production strategies, such as the guided use of alternative resources, alternative energy sources, and sustainable use of water. Training of the workforce on modern techniques of breeding, pre-slaughter and post-slaughter processing, sustainability, waste management, and green technologies is necessary, and students of HEIs need to be offered with modernized content material. The project aims to establish three ""Centres of Excellence for Sustainable and Green Leather Technology"" in three universities in Indonesia to support the green transition of the leather industry. The project will support the creation of the Centres of Excellence to provide support services to the leather industry, such as professional training, seminars on modern production technologies, waste management, sustainable production, export strategies, consultation on the application of research and new findings, relocation strategies, presentation of innovative products and processes, extra-curricular courses for students, practical training and placements, and development and testing of continuous education programs and other activities. It will also contribute to the upskilling and professional development of academic and administrative staff, transfer to HEIs staff knowledge and competences needed to assist companies, develop 5 extracurricular courses for the HEIs, adapt 5 courses for continuous education of professionals, promote research and projects between EU and Indonesian universities, assist the internationalization of HEIs, promote and encourage the establishment of other Centers of Excellence in other universities, and further collaborate with EU and Indonesian Universities and leather businesses."