As the world faces increasingly complex challenges—from climate change and energy transition to food security, technological disruption, and geopolitical uncertainty—the role of universities is undergoing significant transformation. Universities are no longer expected merely to produce knowledge; they are increasingly called upon to help societies translate knowledge into solutions.
This question became the focus of an international academic fellowship undertaken by Melia Femiola, PhD, an Assistant Professor from the School of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung (SBM ITB), through the CABE Visiting Academic Development (VAD) Fellowship at the Center for Asian Business and Economics (CABE), Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne, Australia, from April 12 to May 10, 2026.
For Melia, sustainability challenges in developing countries such as Indonesia cannot be separated from broader economic and social development issues.
“Sustainability is often discussed as an environmental agenda. However, in developing countries, sustainability is fundamentally a development challenge. The question is how societies can pursue economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability simultaneously,” she explained.
This concern motivated her to explore how leading universities position themselves within sustainability transitions—not only through education and research, but also through innovation ecosystems, policy engagement, industry collaboration, and community transformation.
Beyond Sustainability Programs: Sustainability as Institutional DNA
During the fellowship, Melia observed various initiatives at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute, Melbourne Connect, RMIT University, and the City of Melbourne.
One of the most striking observations was that sustainability was not treated merely as a standalone program or project.
Instead, sustainability appeared deeply embedded within institutional culture, research priorities, educational activities, and public engagement initiatives.
“I realized that sustainability is not simply something they teach. It shapes how they think about education, research, innovation, and societal impact,” Melia said.
According to her, universities such as the University of Melbourne have moved beyond viewing sustainability as a specialized agenda. Instead, sustainability has become part of their broader mission of shaping resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented societies.
Rethinking the Role of Universities: From Knowledge Producers to Ecosystem Enablers
One of the central themes of Melia’s fellowship was understanding how universities contribute to societal transformation beyond conventional academic outputs.
Her exploration of the Melbourne Innovation District (MID)—a collaborative innovation ecosystem involving the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, and the City of Melbourne—offered important insights.
Unlike many innovation initiatives that rely heavily on formal structures, MID functions as an ecosystem that enables continuous interaction among researchers, entrepreneurs, government agencies, industries, startups, and communities.
“What impressed me most was that the ecosystem was not driven primarily by formal structures. It was driven by relationships, repeated interactions, and a shared commitment to solving real-world challenges,” she explained.
The experience challenged conventional assumptions about innovation management.
Rather than focusing solely on producing technologies, universities increasingly play a role in creating the conditions that allow innovations to be adopted, scaled, and translated into societal impact.
According to Melia, this represents an important shift in how universities around the world are redefining their role.
“Increasingly, universities are not evaluated only by the knowledge they produce, but by their ability to connect knowledge with society, industry, government, and communities. They are becoming ecosystem enablers and, in many cases, ecosystem orchestrators.”
Lessons for Indonesia
The fellowship also prompted reflections on the future role of Indonesian universities.
Indonesia faces multiple transitions simultaneously: energy transition, food security challenges, climate adaptation, industrial transformation, digital disruption, and growing demands for sustainability.
Addressing these challenges requires more than technological innovation alone. It requires stronger collaboration across sectors and institutions.
Melia believes universities have a unique opportunity to become strategic actors in accelerating these transitions.
“Indonesia does not lack ideas, research, or innovation. The challenge is often how to translate them into solutions that can be adopted and create impact at scale,” she said.
For her, one of the key lessons from Melbourne is the importance of moving beyond a traditional understanding of universities as knowledge producers toward a broader role as connectors, facilitators, and enablers of transformation.
Strengthening SBM ITB’s Commitment to Sustainability and Impact
As Coordinator of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) at SBM ITB, Melia also explored how responsible management education and sustainability principles are integrated within Australian universities.
The fellowship provided valuable insights into how universities can align research, education, innovation, and partnerships to address societal challenges while maintaining academic excellence.
For SBM ITB, the fellowship reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainability-oriented management education, strengthening international collaborations, and contributing to the development of innovation ecosystems that support Indonesia’s long-term transition toward a more resilient and sustainable future.
“The most important lesson I bring back is that sustainability transition is not only about producing better technologies or better policies. It is also about creating the relationships, ecosystems, and collaborations that enable societies to move forward together,” Melia concluded.
