As part of Universitas Airlangga’s (UNAIR) commitment to encourage internationalization, improve the quality of research, and contribute to the development of science and technology, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) UNAIR has consistently held a joint International Conference and Workshop on Basic and Applied Sciences (ICOWOBAS) since 2009. ICOWOBAS is a routine agenda every two years which is held alternately by UNAIR, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Tishk International University (TIU), and Salahaddin University Erbil (SUE), Erbil, Iraq.
In 2025, ICOWOBAS entered its 10th organization which became an important milestone in strengthening the academic role of FST UNAIR in the international arena. With the theme “Innovative Science for a Smarter and Sustainable Future”, ICOWOBAS 2025 is a forum to bring together academics, researchers, and practitioners from various countries to discuss the latest research findings, expand scientific networks, and build cross-disciplinary and cross-country collaborations.
At the ICOWOBAS 2025 event, held on May 6-7, 2025 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru, Malaysia, FST UNAIR sent 10 lecturers as the main delegation, with their contributions in the form of research presentations, both as keynote speakers and invited speakers. One lecturer delegation, Prof. Dr. Ni’matuzahroh from the Department of Biology, became the keynote speaker, while 9 other lecturer delegations became invited speakers representing four departments in FST UNAIR.
Not only lecturers, FST UNAIR also sent 8 students as part of the delegation who also presented both orally and posters at ICOWOBAS 2025. The involvement of students in this conference is an important part of supporting the internationalization of higher education and expanding the academic horizons of the younger generation at the global level.
As part of the ICOWOBAS 2025 series of activities, the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Universitas Airlangga and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia was also held, as an important foundation in strengthening academic and research collaboration between the two institutions which includes the exchange of lecturers and students, the development of joint research, as well as the organization of conferences and joint scientific publications.
In the closing speech of ICOWOBAS 2025, Prof. Dr. Fatmawati, M.Si., as Vice Dean III, FST UNAIR expressed her deep appreciation to UTM, Malaysia for the successful and meaningful ICOWOBAS 2025. She also officially announced that FST, UNAIR will host the next ICOWOBAS in 2027 in Surabaya, Indonesia.
“We are very proud and excited to welcome you all to Surabaya for ICOWOBAS 2027. Let’s continue the spirit of collaboration and innovation for a smarter and more sustainable future,” said Prof. Fatmawati in her speech.
With the spirit of collaboration and dedication to the development of science, it is hoped that FST UNAIR’s participation in ICOWOBAS 2025 can support the achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPI), increase the number of reputable scientific publications, and strengthen Universitas Airlangga’s position in global rankings such as QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education (THE).
