Realizations 2020-2024 - Planned activities in 2025

Preparations International Business School

On 20 November 2020, the R&D International Foundation was established in the presence of notary Yves De Vil in Borgerhout, Belgium. The aim of the Foundation is to establish, build and manage the R&D International Business School in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia. The founders of the foundation have maintained a special and very active relationship with this 'Kabupaten' or Regency for years. This area was governed by the family of the founders and board members in the past centuries. The establishment is part of decades of support for University Siliwangi (establishment of the Chair and extensive study programmes with support from the European Union, among others), for the (re)construction of primary and secondary schools, for the development of new infrastructure (airport, port, roads) and for the fight against malnutrition among children (OTIFA).

Subsequently, in connection with the Foundation’s objective, in the Netherlands, the so-called 'ANBI status' was applied for. This status is reserved for foundations that are committed to the public interest; donations are therefore tax-deductible. The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, which grants the ANBI status, requested the foundation board to make some changes to the articles of association in order to acquire the ANBI status. These instructions were followed by the foundation board, as a result of which the foundation was formally granted ANBI status on February 3, 2022 (retroactively as of November 20, 2020).

From 25 May to 2 June 2022 in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia, meetings took place with the following people from University Siliwangi: Dr. Ir. Nundang Busaeri (Rector), Prof. Deden Mulyana (Vice Rector), Eva Santiana (Head of Cooperation center) and Prof. Ir. Unang (Agri Expert). University Siliwangi is a state university located in Tasikmalaya, South West Java, Indonesia. During the meetings, the possibility of having the activities of the R&D International Business School (R&D IBS) take place on one of the campuses of University Siliwangi (UNSIL), whether or not in a suitable existing building or in a modest but effective building to be built by the R&D IBS itself on UNSIL land. It was also discussed that the legal structure of the relationship between the R&D IF and UNSIL will be advised by an expert notary.

On 30 May 2022, consultations took place between the R&D IF and notary Rina Marlina in Lengkongsari, Tawang, Tasikmalaya. This consultation resulted in the following: 1) The establishment of a local foundation under Indonesian law to manage and finance the R&D International Business School is not required. A notary in Jakarta had recommended this, but notary Marlina indicated that this could lead to unnecessary complications. She gave examples from third parties and insisted that the objectives and policies of the R&D IBS were better secured by a direct relationship between the R&D IF and the R&D IBS. She also recommended the appointment of a joint Indonesian-Dutch Advisory Board/Board of Trustees consisting of representatives of/on behalf of the R&D IF, science, the international and local business community and, of course, UNSIL. On the basis of this notarial advice, a cooperation agreement between R&D IF and UNSIL will be reached. It will be published in its entirety on this website.

In the Netherlands, consultations took place with the Chair of the successful Edgar Brood Academic Chair Foundation for English and Information Technology (EBAC) at UNSIL – founded at the time by the family and friends of the late Dr Edgar Brood – Mrs. Ankje Grapperhaus. On behalf of her board, she announced the decision that the Edgar Brood Chair will be integrated into the new R&D International Business School. This decision will be set out in a formal cooperation agreement between EBAC and R&D IF.
 
In the run-up to the start of the R&D IBS, a first close collaboration between EBAC and the R&D IF already took place: in the second half of 2024, EBAC organised a Business English course with the financial support of the founder of the R&D IF (the foundation does not yet have any income of its own), which was well attended by UNSIL students and taught by EBAC lecturer ad interim Arief Nugraha (lecturer Nanak Hikmatallah received a Fulbright PhD scholarship at Massachusetts University, USA, and will return in the summer of 2025). This course, in collaboration with multiple faculties of UNSIL, aimed to enthuse students about entrepreneurship, stimulate their business capacities and guide them in developing a plan for a small-scale startup that can contribute to the development of Tasikmalaya. Three groups of students with the best developed ideas were allowed to unveil their plans on 12 December 2024 during a 'pitching' session in front of an international jury. During high-quality presentations in good to excellent English, the students succeeded in convincing the jury of their business plans. The final winner is the group 'Sarajoed'. Their startup gives housewives the opportunity to generate income by upgrading discarded clothes to stylish handbags for online sale. Second and third were 'WasteClean' – which aims to convert organic waste into fertilisers for local farmers – and 'WellData' – which aims to support small businesses in Tasikmalaya with affordable data analytics to promote their digitalisation. 'Sarajoed' was rewarded in January 2025 with a cash prize with which the business plan can be implemented. 'WasteClean' can further upgrade its business plan with a slightly lower cash price so that a company can be started with further external financing. External top experts will guide both startups through the R&D International Foundation where requested. 'WellData' received an encouraging consolation prize. A video of the pitching session and the three PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded here.

Drs Nanak Hikmatullah, official holder of the Edgar Brood Chair but still 'on leave' until his PhD studies are completed, will soon be appointed Director of the future R&D International Business School. Together with lecturer Arief and Safira Chaerani, future secretary of the IBS management team, and the international banker and R&D IF board member Rully Ferdiansyah, unpaid external financial supervisor, he will form the core of the R&D IBS management team.
 
This team will be assisted by logistics expert Wim De Herdt, who has also committed to teaching courses on all forms of infrastructure as soon as the IBS starts. Furthermore, the IBS can rely on the expertise of former ING Bank Director and Director of the Dutch Royal Tropical Institute, Mr Mark Schneiders, and development economist Drs Hans Nijhoff (Wageningen University/Maastricht Management School) in the field of agricultural innovation. Drs Nijhoff has already made a study of the opportunities in the Tasikmalayan agricultural sector with financial support from the European Commission. Indeed, the use of the latest technologies in agriculture will be a major focus for the IBS. Further consultations will take place with both gentlemen in the course of the first half of 2025. With the support of the IBS management team, the representatives of UNSIL, and the external experts, a first small-scale summer course will take place later this year.

The board of the R&D IF will appoint an Indonesian/Dutch Advisory Council that also has the function of a Board of Trustees. This will include the former leading member of the Indonesian DPR (parliament) Mrs. Nurhayati Effendi (from Tasikmalaya) and members of the Prawira Adiningrat family (Jati Hidayat, Director of the largest daily newspaper in Indonesia 'Jawa Pos'; Rully Ferdiansyah, senior manager of a Singaporean bank), and the former Editor-in-Chief of the famous The Jakarta Post, Endy Bayuni.
 
The future R&D IBS building should accommodate a maximum of 50 top students per year. It will have to have two lecture halls for 25 people each, a secretariat for 4 people, a boardroom and two department rooms. In addition, at least one guest room with modest kitchen and sanitary facilities will be built. The students must be selected through a strict 'merits only'-based admission procedure, especially from less wealthy families. The program will require a prior bachelor's degree in several subjects and will last one year. The emphasis will be on: 1) working in an international company; 2) establishing and managing your own internationally oriented company; 3) adapting trade in current agricultural and other products to international markets, and the international marketing of these products; 4) the full integration of Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable high-tech/AI into the objectives of one's own company or business operations.

It was confirmed that the building will have to meet all durability and earthquake-resistant standards. On July 18, 2023, a successful meeting took place between the UNSIL management, the R&D IF and a Javanese construction company with extensive experience in earthquake-resistant construction based on steel structural elements. An example is the construction of a large community center after the tsunami in 2004 in Aceh, initiated by the PA International Foundation. Experience has shown that such a building can be realized very quickly and is extremely resistant to the characteristics of nature in Tasikmalaya. UNSIL accepted the presentation by Indhira Sagita of A+A Architecture. The R&D IF has already made specific and lecture hall facilities available.

On this basis, the following decisions will continue to be prepared and implemented in the first half of 2025:
1. A roadmap for the R&D IBS governance structure and its implementation 
2. Formal appointments to the Advisory Board/Board of Trustees of R&D IBS
3. An architectural study for the construction of the R&D IBS
4. A draft curriculum for an initial IBS Summer Course and for the one-year IBS course
5. A multi-year budget for the R&D IBS including a financing plan – based on donations from the R&D International Foundation
6. Concluding consultations with UNSIL on points 1-4, leading to implementing decisions
7. Start of construction of the R&D IBS
8. Outlook report on the first 5 years of R&D IBS with a cautious and limited start-up in 2025/26
9. Preparations for the opening of the R&D IBS building in the course of 2026
10. Opening of the R&D IBS building and selection of the first group of a limited number of students
11. Start of IBS Summer Course for a limited group of students
12. Evaluation of the Summer School and preparation for the next academic year.