Universitas Andalas Advances Global Scientific Collaboration through ICBSA 2026 under the EQUITY Program

Padang — Universitas Andalas, through the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), successfully organized the International Conference on Basic Science and Its Applications (ICBSA) 2026 as part of the Enhancing Quality Education for International University Impacts and Recognition (EQUITY) Program. The conference strengthened Universitas Andalas’ commitment to advancing basic sciences, international research collaboration, and science-based solutions for sustainable development.

ICBSA 2026 was held on 30 June 2026 at the Tahir Foundation Building, Universitas Andalas, Padang, under the theme “Advancing Frontier Sciences for Environmental and Human Health toward Sustainable Development.” The conference brought together academics, researchers, students, and practitioners to exchange scientific knowledge and explore interdisciplinary approaches to environmental sustainability, human health, renewable energy, biodiversity, green chemistry, data science, and other emerging areas of basic and applied sciences.

The conference was designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and informatics. It also aimed to strengthen international research networks, increase the research capacity of lecturers and students, and generate internationally recognized scientific publications that contribute to Universitas Andalas’ global academic visibility.

Six distinguished speakers from six countries contributed to the scientific program: Prof. Dr. Marzuki from Universitas Andalas, Indonesia; Asst. Prof. Aavishkar C. Katti from MIT World Peace University, India; Prof. Masaji Watanabe from Okayama University, Japan; Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Reham Helwa from King Salman International University, Egypt; Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sharofzoda Farrukh Safolbek from the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan; and Prof. Yang In Ho from Korea Maritime and Ocean University, South Korea.

The conference included plenary sessions, scientific discussions, oral presentations, poster presentations, and awards for the best presenters. Oral presentations were organized in ten parallel rooms according to scientific disciplines, while poster presenters engaged directly with evaluators and participants to explain their research findings and receive scientific feedback.

The activity report records approximately 300 participants attending the conference, highlighting strong interest in basic sciences and their applications for addressing contemporary challenges. Discussions throughout the conference focused on the advancement of science and its applications for human health, environmental sustainability, technological innovation, and sustainable development.

The conference was officially opened on behalf of the Rector of Universitas Andalas by Prof. Henmaidi, S.T., M.Eng.Sc., Ph.D., Vice Rector IV of Universitas Andalas and Person in Charge of the EQUITY Program.

Prof. Henmaidi emphasized that international scientific forums supported through EQUITY should serve as strategic instruments for strengthening the university’s research ecosystem and international impact.

“ICBSA demonstrates how basic science can be connected with global challenges and translated into meaningful contributions to sustainable development. Through EQUITY, Universitas Andalas seeks not only to increase international academic activities, but also to strengthen research quality, international partnerships, scientific visibility, and measurable contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. In future EQUITY programs, these dimensions should be integrated even more strongly from the planning stage through to long-term impact evaluation.”

He noted that international conferences should increasingly become starting points for sustained institutional collaboration rather than stand-alone academic events. Follow-up activities such as joint research, co-authored publications, academic mobility, international grant applications, and collaborative innovation should therefore become important indicators of the long-term impact of EQUITY.

Dr. Eng. Muhammad Makky, Chair of the EQUITY Program at Universitas Andalas, highlighted the importance of transforming international academic engagement into sustainable institutional outcomes.

“The next stage of EQUITY should place greater emphasis on continuity and measurable impact. An international conference should generate more than presentations and scientific discussions. It should create new research partnerships, international publications, academic mobility, innovation opportunities, and research networks that remain active after the event has ended. This is how EQUITY can contribute simultaneously to academic excellence, international recognition, and sustainable development.”

Makky added that the scientific focus of ICBSA provides a strong opportunity to integrate several SDGs within Universitas Andalas’ internationalization strategy. Research related to human health supports SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being; research capacity development and international academic exchange reinforce SDG 4 on Quality Education; renewable energy research contributes to SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy; scientific innovation supports SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; environmental, biodiversity, and climate-related research contributes to SDGs 13 and 15; while international research collaboration directly strengthens SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.

Meanwhile, Dr. rer. nat. Syafrizayanti, Chair of the ICBSA 2026 Organizing Committee, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary scientific exchange in creating new opportunities for research development. The activity report identifies Syafrizayanti as the chair of the organizing committee.

“ICBSA 2026 provided an important platform for researchers from different scientific disciplines and countries to meet, exchange ideas, and identify opportunities for future collaboration. The interaction between keynote speakers, presenters, evaluators, and participants was particularly valuable because it allowed researchers to receive scientific input while developing networks that can support future research and publication.”

She added that future editions could benefit from earlier preparation, more integrated scientific management, stronger international promotion, and systematic follow-up of manuscripts and collaborative opportunities generated during the conference.

In addition to scientific exchange, ICBSA 2026 also opened opportunities for cooperation in research, scientific publication, academic exchange, and capacity development for lecturers and students. The report notes that selected participants are being encouraged to prepare full manuscripts for further review and potential publication in partner journals, including Hayati Journal of Biosciences, Molekul, and the Journal of the Indonesian Mathematical Society, subject to the editorial and peer-review policies of each journal.

The experience of ICBSA 2026 also provides several lessons for strengthening future EQUITY implementation. International activities could be designed from the outset with clear SDG mapping, defined output and outcome indicators, and structured follow-up plans. Publication pathways should be established earlier so that selected manuscripts can move efficiently from conference presentation to internal review, revision, submission, and publication.

Technical readiness also remains important. The activity report recommends earlier and more structured preparation of electricity, computers, projectors, audio equipment, internet connectivity, and backup equipment. It also recommends consistent post-conference manuscript mentoring and systematic satisfaction surveys involving participants, speakers, moderators, evaluators, and organizing committees.

For a future EQUITY period, these improvements could be complemented by an institutional monitoring system that tracks the impact of each international activity six to twelve months after implementation. Indicators could include joint publications, international research proposals, visiting scholars, student and staff mobility, follow-up agreements, external research funding, innovations produced, and the number of partnerships that progress into substantive collaborative activities.

Another opportunity is to strengthen the translation of scientific research into societal impact. Research presented through future ICBSA and EQUITY activities could be linked more systematically with government, industry, communities, and international organizations. This would allow scientific findings to contribute not only to academic publications but also to health solutions, environmental management, clean energy development, biodiversity conservation, technological innovation, and evidence-based policymaking.

Through ICBSA 2026, Universitas Andalas has reinforced the strategic role of basic science in addressing complex global challenges. By combining research excellence, international collaboration, scientific publication, interdisciplinary innovation, and stronger SDG-oriented impact measurement, future EQUITY initiatives can further position Universitas Andalas as an internationally connected university whose scientific activities generate meaningful academic and societal impact.

This activity is funded by the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) on behalf of the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and managed under the EQUITY Program (Contract No.4304/B3/DT.03.08/2025).