Balikpapan - Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) held the Presentation of Visions, Missions, and Work Programs of Rector Candidates for the 2026–2030 Period on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The event marked an important stage in the ITK Rector Election process, providing an opportunity to examine the leadership direction, institutional development strategies, and programs proposed to address ITK’s challenges over the next four years.

The four rector candidates presenting their ideas were Prof. Dr. Ir. Imam Abadi, S.T., M.T.; Dr. Ir. Moch. Purwanto, S.Si., M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Ir. Agung Purniawan, S.T., M.Eng.; and Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Fredy Kurniawan, S.Si., M.Si. Each candidate brought a different perspective and strategic approach, while sharing several common priorities, including strengthening education, research and innovation, human resources, digital transformation, partnerships, internationalization, and institutional governance.

The event began at 8:00 a.m. WITA with registration for participants, invited guests, and rector candidates. The Open Senate Session was then officially opened by the Chair of the ITK Senate, followed by remarks from the ITK Rector, the drawing of presentation numbers, and an explanation of the event procedures. Each candidate was given 15 minutes to present their vision and work program, followed by a one-hour question-and-answer session and closing statements from all four candidates.

In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Ir. Imam Abadi, S.T., M.T. introduced the vision of ITK 2030 “IN-SUN” — Innovative, Smart, Sustainable University for Nusantara, carrying the spirit of “Illuminating the Future of Nusantara: Impactful ITK, Empowered Nusantara.” The vision is supported by six pillars: excellent, adaptive, and character-based education; impactful research, innovation, and community service; strategic partnerships and regional contributions; internationalization and institutional reputation; digital transformation and smart campus development; and institutional transformation and excellent governance.

In the area of education, Imam proposed the development of a co-created industry curriculum involving advisory boards from industry, professional communities, universities, and alumni. The co-curricular curriculum is also designed to strengthen students’ character, career readiness, achievements, and global exposure, ensuring that learning is not only focused on academic competence but also on readiness for the professional world.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ir. Moch. Purwanto, S.Si., M.Si. presented five major directions for ITK’s development: excellent and character-based education, impactful research and innovation, infrastructure and digital transformation, strategic partnerships and institutional independence, as well as accountable governance and excellent human resources.

His education programs include revitalizing adaptive and innovative curricula, improving student achievement, strengthening career services, developing character education, and enhancing the competencies of lecturers, education staff, and students. In research, his priorities include developing research groups, strengthening industry integration, disseminating technology to society, accelerating research downstreaming, and improving publications and collaboration.

Moch. Purwanto also emphasized infrastructure development and digital transformation as key priorities. His programs include expanding campus facilities, improving access and learning spaces, strengthening library and online services, and integrating campus information systems. In terms of institutional independence, he highlighted industry partnerships, national and international collaboration, business unit development, alumni networking, and the optimization of governance and human resources.

Prof. Dr. Ir. Agung Purniawan, S.T., M.Eng. introduced the concept of “ITK RISE 2045”, built on four key foundations: Research, Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence. His vision positions ITK as a world-class research university that is adaptive, sustainable, impactful, and firmly rooted in the local wisdom of Kalimantan.

The vision is translated into five main areas: education, research, community engagement, internationalization, and governance. In education, Agung proposed project- and challenge-based curricula, structured industry internships, technopreneurship, interdisciplinary learning, and the strengthening of character and ethics. In research, his priorities include competitive and collaborative funding, internationally standardized laboratories, reputable publications, research clusters, and the development of a Science Techno Park.

Internationalization is also positioned as a major priority through academic mobility, global collaborative research, international accreditation, and joint or double degree programs. These priorities are summarized in the strategic RISE+ program, consisting of Research Excellence, Innovative Learning, Strategic Partnership, Excellent Governance, and Sustainable Campus, as part of ITK’s long-term roadmap toward becoming a world-class university.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Fredy Kurniawan, S.Si., M.Si. presented a vision to establish Institut Teknologi Kalimantan as a center of excellence in education, research, and science and technology innovation that is globally competitive, rooted in local wisdom, and contributes meaningfully to Indonesia’s sustainable development.

Three key elements emphasized in his vision are global competitiveness, local wisdom, and sustainable development. Human resource development is one of his major priorities, including strengthening academic and leadership capacity, recruiting high-quality lecturers, accelerating doctoral studies, and improving the professionalism of education staff. Fredy also proposed an integrated Smart Campus ecosystem through the integration of academic information systems, e-learning, smart library services, stronger digital infrastructure for research, and automated administrative services.

Overall, the presentations by the four candidates highlighted several strategic issues that will shape ITK’s direction toward 2030. These include improving the quality and relevance of education, strengthening research and innovation downstreaming, expanding internationalization, developing infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening human resources, broadening partnerships with industry and government, and improving institutional governance and independence.

Although each candidate offered a different approach, all four shared the same aspiration to transform ITK into a more adaptive and competitive institution. Their proposals ranged from stronger industry integration and student development, to research excellence and institutional independence, a world-class research university orientation, and global competitiveness grounded in local strengths and sustainable development.

The presentation of visions, missions, and work programs provided the academic community with an opportunity to better understand the leadership direction of each candidate and assess how their ideas could respond to ITK’s future needs. After the presentation session, each candidate participated in a 15-minute question-and-answer session and was given the opportunity to deliver a closing statement before the Open Senate Session was officially concluded.

Through the ITK Rector Election for the 2026–2030 period, the institution is expected to select a leader who can not only sustain existing achievements but also introduce new breakthroughs in education, research, innovation, digital transformation, internationalization, governance, and ITK’s contribution to Kalimantan and Indonesia.

Four candidates, four approaches, and one shared goal: to move ITK forward as an increasingly advanced, impactful, and strategically positioned institution for the future of Nusantara.