Collaborating to Advance International Craft Arts Education
Photo: ISI BALI Rector Prof. Dr. I Wayan ‘Kun’ Adnyana (second from left), accompanied by the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD), Drs. I Nengah Sudika Negara, M.Erg., signs the MoU with Kazuhiko Ota, Chairman of the Hasami Tohjiki Industrial Association (second from right), and Matsumoto Yuki, CEO of BESTie Co., Ltd. (left).
The Indonesian Institute of the Arts Bali (ISI BALI) continues to expand its international partnerships to enhance the quality of higher education and strengthen the global competitiveness of its graduates. Demonstrating this commitment, ISI BALI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hasami Tohjiki Industrial Association and BESTie Co., Ltd., Japan, on Tuesday (23 June) in Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
The MoU was signed by Prof. Dr. I Wayan ‘Kun’ Adnyana, Rector of ISI BALI, together with Kazuhiko Ota, Chairman of the Hasami Tohjiki Industrial Association, and Matsumoto Yuki, CEO of BESTie Co., Ltd. On the same occasion, the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD) ISI BALI also signed an Implementation Agreement (IA) with the two Japanese partners. The agreement was signed by Drs. I Nengah Sudika Negara, M.Erg., Dean of FSRD ISI BALI.
Photo: MoU Signing Ceremony between ISI BALI, the Hasami Tohjiki Industrial Association, and BESTie Co., Ltd., held on Tuesday (23 June) in Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
The signing ceremony was conducted in a warm and distinguished atmosphere, attended by approximately 40 invited guests representing the ceramic industry, ceramic research institutions, members of parliament, and government officials from Hasami Town and Nagasaki Prefecture, including Murayama Hiroshi, Vice Mayor of Hasami. Prior to the signing ceremony, the national anthems of Indonesia (Indonesia Raya) and Japan (Kimigayo) were performed.
This collaboration represents a strategic initiative to develop internationally oriented ceramic arts education through a strong partnership between higher education and Japan’s globally recognized ceramic industry.
The agreement follows the visit of Yoshinori Maekawa, Mayor of Hasami, and Kazuhiko Ota, Chairman of the Hasami Tohjiki Industrial Association, to the ISI BALI campus on 18 February 2026. During that visit, both parties explored potential areas of collaboration, which subsequently led to an official invitation for the Rector of ISI BALI and the Dean of FSRD to attend the signing ceremony in Japan.
Photo: Ceramic products manufactured in Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
Hasami is widely recognized as one of Japan’s most renowned ceramic production centers, with a history of producing high-quality ceramics spanning several centuries. Through this partnership, Hasami aims to establish a collaborative project that bridges people, education, and technology between Indonesia and Japan while strengthening connections between academia and the creative industries.
ISI BALI Rector Prof. Dr. I Wayan Adnyana, S.Sn., M.Sn., welcomed the partnership, describing it as a significant opportunity to advance craft arts education at ISI BALI while providing students with access to international learning experiences and industry-based professional training.
“The Craft, Product Design, and Fine Arts Study Programs at ISI BALI have demonstrated outstanding excellence in producing innovative ceramic works. Our students create not only artistic ceramic pieces but also functional ceramic products with strong commercial potential. This collaboration with Japan’s ceramic industry will further strengthen students’ competencies while preparing them to enter the global workforce,” he stated.
Representatives of the Hasami partners also expressed their commitment to supporting human resource development through industry-based education and training. In addition to providing ISI BALI students with opportunities to gain firsthand experience in Japan’s traditional ceramic industry, the collaboration will create career pathways for qualified graduates to pursue professional employment in Hasami.
Under the MoU and the Implementation Agreement, the parties agreed to collaborate in various areas, including academic program development, international curriculum design, internship implementation, employment placement for students and alumni, educational infrastructure development, and other mutually agreed initiatives.
One of the priority programs to be implemented is the development and adoption of a Japanese-standard curriculum for international craft arts education at ISI BALI. The curriculum will be jointly designed with Japanese industry partners to ensure alignment with global workforce demands and developments in the international ceramic industry.
In addition, students will have the opportunity to participate in internship programs at ceramic companies and industries in Hasami with full facilitation from the Japanese partners. The program is intended for seventh-semester students from the Fine Arts, Craft, and Product Design Study Programs and is scheduled to commence in September 2026.
Through immersive learning experiences at one of Japan’s leading ceramic industry centers, students are expected to develop not only advanced technical expertise in ceramic production and material innovation but also a comprehensive understanding of industrial management, professional work culture, and international quality standards. These experiences will equip ISI BALI graduates with the competencies required to compete successfully in the global creative industry. (ISI BALI Public Relations Office)
