Indonesia
Visiting the Wood Craft Center of Rejoso MSME and Creative Economy Village
The Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) Universitas Brawijaya (UB) received an academic visit from the Dean of the Institute for Cultural Industry, Peking University, China, Prof. Dr. Yong (Hardy) Xiang, along with 12 master and doctoral students. This visit was in the context of developing potential cooperation in the field of culture-based industry and lasted for a week (2/3-9/2025).
The main agenda of this visit was to see firsthand the creative and cultural industries in Malang Raya, which are expected to become a model for developing culture-based industries in Indonesia with the support of academics, communities, and the government. This visit is part of the vision of Globalizing UB, which aims to bring FCS UB to become an international center for cultural studies.
The group visited Batu City to take a closer look at the production process and activities of culture-based industry players on Thursday (2/6/2025). The tour involved 13 delegates from Peking University, 10 companions from FCS UB, and teams from the Arts Council and Kaliwatu Group of Batu City.
Visiting the Wickerworkers of Rejoso MSME and Creative Economy Village
The travel route covers various creative industry points in Batu City, including (1) Rejoso MSME and Creative Economy Village: Visiting wood and wicker craftsmen, as well as the production of various fruit-based food preparations such as apple, jackfruit, salak, and mango chips; (2) Bulukerto Apple Orchard: Seeing the apple farming process from the orchard to the sorting warehouse at GELORA Bulukerto; (3) Post-harvest Production House: Visiting the production house owned by Mr. Hari Junggo, Keripik BALI, which is one of the agricultural product processing businesses; and (4) Discussion and Lunch at Kaliwatu: Talking with representatives of the Batu City Arts Council (DKKB) and representatives of the Batu City Government to discuss opportunities for broader development of culture-based industries.
In his interview, Prof. Hardy expressed his admiration for the culture and people of Indonesia, especially Malang City and Batu.
“Previously, I only knew Indonesia from maps and general information. But this time, I saw the culture’s beauty and the people’s friendliness firsthand. It is a very valuable opportunity for me and my students,” he said.
Visiting Mr. Hari Junggo’s Fruit Chips Production House, BALI Chips
He also highlighted Batu City’s great potential in developing culture-based industries.
“Batu is a beautiful city with charming landscapes and folk art. I also heard that the people are very active in developing local culture,” he added.
Prof. Hardy was particularly impressed with the experience of exploring the apple orchards and the well-organized and clean villages.
“I liked this place. I want to come back again and see more potential for cooperation in the future,” he said.
Seeing the Apple Farming Process from the Orchard to the Sorting Warehouse at GELORA Bulukerto
The Dean of FCS UB, Hamamah, Ph.D., stated that this visit was the first step to strengthening cooperation in mapping culture-based industries in Malang Raya.
“We want to map the potential of culture-based industries in villages in Malang Raya to be developed with the support of academics and the government. With this cooperation, we hope to assist the community to optimize their cultural potential,” Hamamah explained.
She added that Peking University has advanced experience managing culture-based industries, which can be a model for developing similar sectors in Indonesia.
“We want to involve academics in supporting the community, and this cooperation will accelerate the process,” she added.
Through this visit, FCS UB and Peking University hope to develop a more sustainable culture-based creative industry model and build a broader cultural studies and creative economy network.
This collaboration is clear evidence of how education and culture can go hand in hand in supporting the welfare of society and introducing Indonesian culture to the international world. [dts/PR FCS]