Gorontalo, December 3, 2025 — The Board of Trustees (MWA) of Hasanuddin University conducted a working visit to Gorontalo Province on December 2–4, 2025 to explore strategic cooperation, particularly in the agromaritime sector. The meeting, held at the Office of the Provincial Secretary of Gorontalo, was attended by officials from the Gorontalo Provincial Government and heads of regional government agencies.

In his speech, the Gorontalo Regional Secretary, represented by Assistant I for Government and People’s Welfare Syukril Gobel, expressed his appreciation for the visit by the Unhas MWA and emphasized that Gorontalo has an emotional closeness to Unhas because many regional officials and civil servants are its alumni. He emphasized that agriculture is a leading sector that contributes 37% to the regional economic structure and is a priority in the RPJPD and the 2025 development program.

The Chair of the Unhas MWA emphasized that the purpose of this visit was to build networks, open up opportunities for collaboration in the Tridarma Perguruan Tinggi (Three Pillars of Higher Education), and encourage the downstreaming of Unhas research in the region. As a state-owned legal entity, Unhas has autonomy in the management of education, research, community service, and business units, enabling it to partner more flexibly and strategically with local governments.

One of the focuses of the discussion was the opportunity to implement superior corn varieties developed by Unhas, namely JJUH 01, 02, and 03. These varieties have high productivity of 10–11 tons/ha, far above the average productivity of corn in Gorontalo, which is currently around 5 tons/ha. The Gorontalo Provincial Government has expressed interest in conducting demonstration plots in all districts/cities, given the need for corn as a strategic commodity and export.

The discussion also highlighted the challenges faced by farmers in their dependence on hybrid seeds, the need to increase yields, the adaptation of corn to land under coconut shade, and issues of disease outbreaks and aflatoxin levels for the food market. The Gorontalo Provincial Government opened up opportunities for research collaboration, partnerships with Balitbangda, and the involvement of corn trader associations as part of the downstream ecosystem.

MWA Unhas emphasized that the follow-up to the cooperation will be formalized through the signing of an MoU between the Governor of Gorontalo and the Rector of Unhas, followed by a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) that will regulate more technical matters between the Faculty of Agriculture of Unhas and the Gorontalo Provincial Agriculture Office. Unhas also offers joint research support and downstream opportunities for other commodities such as native broiler chickens known as Ayam Alope.

The Unhas MWA working visit lasted three days and was filled with intensive meetings, technical discussions, and field explorations to strengthen the synergy between Unhas and the Gorontalo Provincial Government in accelerating the development of the agricultural and agromaritime sectors.