The author once worked as a village facilitator in Selayar, while JJ served as Executive Secretary of a major initiative—the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Project (COREMAP)—in the mid-2000s. During the conversation, the idea of coastal laboratories emerged as a symbol of leadership that brings the university beyond the ivory tower in maritime affairs.
maritimeposts.com/ — The conversation with the figure whose full name is Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. did not take place in a ceremonial atmosphere. It unfolded instead as a calm, reflective dialogue, marked by pauses that allowed space for thought.
It was not about performance metrics, let alone a list of achievements. What emerged were more fundamental questions: why universities exist, why a Rector is elected, what “Impactful Unhas” truly means, where the institution is heading, and what values must be safeguarded so that it does not dissolve into the pragmatism of the times.
In that conversation, the author regarded Prof. JJ—as he is commonly called—not as a Rector, but as a senior who once conducted student initiation activities along the corridors of Himatin and Himagastika, two student organizations of the Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences at Unhas, back in 1989.
Thus, the exchange was not framed by structural authority, but by shared values and a desire to trace both origins and destinations.
It is here that the essence of academic leadership finds its meaning—not merely in managing an institution, but in nurturing the orientation and integrity of the university as a space for the pursuit of truth and service to humanity.
Prof. JJ articulated these ideas in writing; the author preserved them and elaborated on their substance.
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The Essence of Leadership: Maintaining Direction Amid Complexity
Academic leadership today faces challenges that are far from simple. Universities are expected to be adaptive to global change, competitive at the international level, while remaining firmly rooted in local needs.
In this context, the essence of leadership is not speed in chasing trends, but steadfastness in determining direction amid complexity.
Prof. Jamaluddin Jompa views leadership as the ability to integrate values, knowledge, and the courage to make decisions grounded in science.
Leadership, in his view, must be firm in upholding rules while remaining open to innovation; disciplined in governance yet flexible in reading social and ecological contexts. Such a leadership model demands moral consistency as well as strategic intelligence.
The discussion began when we touched upon Unhas’s strengths and assets—essentially, how to manage assets professionally, and how to understand the campus as an ecosystem.
Professional Asset Management: The Campus as a Living Ecosystem
From the essence of leadership emerges a professional approach to asset management. A university should not be understood merely as a collection of buildings, land, and physical facilities, but as a living ecosystem of knowledge.
Campus assets include academic human resources, research networks, scholarly reputation, knowledge data, and public trust.
Within this framework, asset management is not merely an administrative concern, but a long-term strategy to ensure institutional sustainability.
Well-managed assets strengthen a university’s competitiveness while expanding its contribution to society. Professionalism becomes a prerequisite to prevent campuses from being trapped in bureaucratic routines that weaken innovation.
Coastal Laboratories: Knowledge That Grows in the Field
As a university born and developed in a coastal region, Unhas carries both an advantage and a historical responsibility. The author, an alumnus of Marine Sciences, and Prof. JJ, from the Department of Fisheries, share intersecting paths of experience and professional engagement.
The author once worked as a village facilitator in Selayar, while JJ served as Executive Secretary of a major initiative—the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Project (COREMAP)—in the mid-2000s.
During the conversation, the idea of coastal laboratories emerged as a symbol of leadership that brings the university beyond the ivory tower in maritime affairs.
Suddenly, references surfaced to the Marine Station at Barrang Lompo, the Educational Ponds in Bojo, and the increasingly complex contextual challenges of maritime development.
For JJ, laboratories are not confined to enclosed rooms, but exist in the sea, on small islands, along coastlines, and within the communities that inhabit them.
Coastal Laboratories should be understood as real learning spaces, where theory is tested by reality and scientific knowledge encounters the everyday lives of communities. It is here that research, education, and community service converge into a single practical unity.
This approach affirms that strong academic leadership is leadership that dares to situate knowledge within its true social and ecological contexts. Faculty human resources are thus called upon to be responsive to these realities.
Interdisciplinary Innovation: Bridging Knowledge and Practice
We recognize that today’s development challenges are complex and interlinked. Climate change, food crises, public health issues, and social inequality cannot be addressed by a single discipline.
Therefore, academic leadership must encourage interdisciplinary innovation as a new way of thinking—solving old problems through new collaborations by involving more actors: students, alumni, and the private sector, pooling experiences and solutions.
Prof. JJ emphasized the importance of collaboration across faculties, across disciplines, and even across sectors—between academics, policymakers, local communities, and business actors.
Innovation does not always manifest as cutting-edge technology; it often emerges from the ability to cross-pollinate knowledge and weave diverse perspectives together. The university of the future is one that facilitates dialogue among fields of knowledge, rather than compartmentalizing them.
Leadership as a Long-Term Architecture
When woven together, the essence of leadership, professional asset management, coastal laboratories, and interdisciplinary innovation form a comprehensive architecture of leadership.
Leadership is not understood as short-term action or immediate achievement, but as an effort to build a strong foundation for institutional sustainability.
Within this framework, academic leadership is a process of nurturing values, building systems, and preparing spaces for future generations to grow. The most important legacy of a leader is not programs, but culture—a way of thinking, a way of working, and a way of understanding the university’s role in society.
The conversation with Prof. Jamaluddin Jompa left a strong impression: true leadership speaks less about itself and more about the institution and the future it seeks to prepare.
The challenges ahead will certainly not be lighter, but values that are consistently upheld will serve as guidance amid uncertainty.
A university will remain relevant only if it can maintain a balance between academic excellence, social commitment, and ecological responsibility.
It is at this point that leadership finds its deepest meaning—as an endeavor to set direction, even when the spotlight has shifted elsewhere.
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Author: Kamaruddin Azis
Tamarunang, 10 February 2026