The SUSTAIN Project organized a series of research methodology workshops at partner universities, including Politeknik Negeri Pontianak (POLNEP) and Universitas Nusa Cendana (UNDANA). These workshops aimed to enrich the perspectives, approaches, and social research methodologies of academic staff from all SUSTAIN partner universities.
In addition, the workshops were designed to strengthen research collaboration among universities, with a strategic objective of producing high-quality research proposals eligible for funding from the national government and international donor agencies. A total of 113 staff members participated in the workshops, which featured several experts and practitioners as resource persons, including Prof. Burhan Bungin (Universitas Ciputra), Dr. Riaty Rafiuddin (Universitas Indonesia), and Yohana Kusuma Dewi from the Indonesian Association of Food Technologists (PATPI).
The workshops generated positive impacts, particularly for the partner universities involved. They emphasized social research methodologies, thereby enhancing the knowledge and skills of partner institutions that had previously relied more heavily on quantitative methods. For instance, POLNEP successfully developed participatory social research approaches to complement its existing laboratory-based and survey research competencies.
One significant outcome of the workshops was the successful award of a prestigious research grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (DIPA Fund) to UNDANA. Overall, the workshops are expected to further strengthen future collaborative research initiatives under the SUSTAIN Project.
