ULM Firmly at the National Top: Reaches the 2026 Independent Cluster for Research and Community Service Performance
BANJARMASIN – Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) has once again achieved outstanding success on the national stage. Through the Decree of the Director of Research and Community Service Number 0968/C3/DT.05.00/2025, dated October 28, 2025, ULM was officially designated as part of the “Independent Cluster” for Research and Community Service (P2M) Performance in 2026.
This achievement places ULM in the highest tier of higher education institutions in Indonesia, on par with established major universities. The “Independent” status recognizes the excellence, maturity, and quality of ULM’s research and community service ecosystem.
The clustering released by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology (Ditjen Diktiristek) is based on comprehensive data processing of higher education performance for the period 2022 to 2024. All data is drawn from the SINTA (Science and Technology Index) platform, which is now the primary benchmark for national scientific productivity. The assessment process is rigorous.
The performance data taken into account has been rigorously verified and validated by verifiers from each university’s Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM). The components assessed cover the entire spectrum of the Tridharma (Three Pillars of Excellence), including: the number and quality of authors, the strength of affiliations, the number of scientific articles, the quantity and quality of research, the impact of community service, the acquisition of intellectual property rights, and the number of books produced.
The Rector of ULM, Prof. Dr. H. Ahmad Alim Bahri, S.E., M.Si., welcomed this achievement with gratitude and pride. According to him, this result is the fruit of the hard work, consistency, and commitment of the entire ULM academic community.
“This achievement is clear evidence that ULM remains the best university in South Kalimantan, and even in Kalimantan, in terms of research and community service performance.”
The Head of LPPM ULM, Prof. Ir. Sunardi, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., detailed that ULM’s position in the Independent Cluster is highly prestigious. Of the more than 5,400 universities (PT) registered throughout Indonesia, only 56 academic universities have successfully achieved this highest cluster.
“ULM is among the 56 best Academic Universities (Independent Cluster) in Indonesia out of a total of more than 5,400 universities in Indonesia based on research performance and P2M based on Sinta data. This is no small achievement; it represents national recognition of our quality,” he said.
The Professor of Materials Chemistry explained that ULM’s success is inseparable from the significant improvement in almost all SINTA assessment components during the 2022-2024 period.
“We’ve seen a remarkable acceleration in the past three years. Lecturers’ productivity in publishing articles in reputable journals has increased sharply. Likewise, the acquisition of Intellectual Property Rights, both patents and copyrights, demonstrates that our research isn’t confined to the laboratory but is also oriented toward innovation,” he explained.
Furthermore, ULM’s community service program is also considered increasingly impactful and relevant to regional needs, particularly in the development of wetland areas, which are the university’s hallmark.
“This Independent Cluster status,” Prof. Sunardi continued, “gives ULM greater autonomy in managing research and community service funds. This is both a significant mandate and a challenge to continuously improve quality, not just quantity”. He dedicated this achievement to all researchers, lecturers, students, and educational staff at ULM, as well as the full support of the university leadership.
“Moving forward, LPPM ULM will continue to foster a stronger research culture, downstreaming innovative products, and community service that provides solutions for the community. We will not be complacent. Our goal is to maintain this status and continue to contribute significantly to the progress of the region and Indonesia,” he concluded.
