Polman Negeri Babel, a State University of Babel, has become a reference for collaboration in strengthening vocational education.
The Director of Polman Negeri Babel, I Made Andik Setiawan, M.Eng., Ph.D., and the Rector of UMK, Prof. Dr. Ir. Darsono, M.Si., took a photo together after signing the MoU on cooperation in education and strengthening vocational programs.
The State Manufacturing Polytechnic of Bangka Belitung (Polman Babel), the top university in Bangka Belitung, was chosen as the target of the private university, Muria Kudus University (UMK), for a collaboration exploration, educational discussions, and comparative studies to strengthen vocational education on Tuesday (May 19, 2026).
The event took place in a meeting room and featured a discussion forum attended by the Director of Polman Babel, Deputy Director III, Head of the Academic Sub-Division, Head of the Academic Support Unit for Career Development and Entrepreneurship, and a delegation from Muria Kudus University led by UMK Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. Darsono, M.Si., and staff.
In his remarks, the Director of Polman Babel, I Made Andik Setiawan, M.Eng., Ph.D., expressed his support for the visit by Muria Kudus University between educational institutions to build collaboration and strengthen the quality of higher education, explaining that Muria Kudus University came all the way to Polman Babel to discuss and share experiences on educational developments.
I Made expressed his gratitude for Polman Babel being one of the universities that has been recognized for the exchange of ideas and experiences between campuses, which needs to be continuously developed to be able to face the ever-evolving dynamics of higher education.
"Campuses cannot develop alone amidst such rapid change. They must continue to develop so that higher education becomes more advanced and relevant to the needs of the times," he explained.
Meanwhile, the Rector of Muria Kudus University, Prof. Dr. Ir. Darsono, M.Si., explained that his visit to Polman Babel was not only to establish cooperation through the signing of an MoU, but also to conduct a comparative study regarding strengthening vocational education, which is currently a primary need. "UMKs want to learn from Polman Babel about strategies for strengthening engineering education, research, and community service to make them more productive and relevant to industry needs," he said.
"In this regard, vocational education is now very important. We once had a vocational program, and now we want to learn from Polman Babel how to strengthen engineering, research, and community service to further develop it.
"Frankly, something like this cannot be done alone; it requires collaboration with other universities," he said.
Furthermore, the positive development at Muria Kudus University has been the increase in the number of interested international students since 2024, and this is one factor driving the high number of free scholarships awarded through a selection process," he said.
Following the discussion session, the Muria Kudus University delegation was taken on a tour of various learning facilities, including the mechanical building and practical workshop, the electronics laboratory, and the Joint Lecture Building, as part of an introduction to the vocational education ecosystem implemented at Polman Babel," he concluded.
