Sumedang – Thursday, September 19, 2025, marked a historic moment for the academic worlds of Indonesia and Nigeria. Through a virtual meeting on the Zoom platform, the team from the Jurnal Kajian Informasi & Perpustakaan (JKIP) took its first step in a collaboration with Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria, to plan the 2025 Indonesia-Africa International Conference on Library and Information Science.
This initiative to hold an international conference is based on the growing need for academic journal development. One key strategy to help a journal grow is to establish collaborations with writers from outside the country. By organizing an international-scale conference, JKIP hopes to attract writers from various countries, especially in Africa, to publish their work in JKIP and, at the same time, enrich the body of knowledge in library and information science.
This inaugural meeting was attended by representatives from both institutions. From Indonesia, the JKIP Editorial Team, Evi Nursanti Rukmana and Risa Nurisani, were present. They were joined by the Head of the Faculty of Communication Sciences Internationalization Unit, Elnovani Lusiana, and Lecturer from the Library and Information Science Study Program, Febriyanti Bifakhlina. Meanwhile, from Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria, Kabir Alabi Sulaiman and Ismail Olatunji Adeyemi were in attendance. The meeting served as a forum for introductions and for strengthening the synergy between academics from two different continents.
The meeting began with a warm introduction between the teams from Indonesia and Nigeria. Following that, Evi Nursanti Rukmana presented the conference preparation draft, which covered a variety of important aspects. The material presented served as the foundation for a more in-depth discussion session where the entire team was actively involved in formulating the plan.
During the discussion, the team addressed several crucial points, including: conference title: determining a relevant and engaging name, Specific goals and objectives: Clearly identifying the targets to be achieved, theme and sub-themes: Formulating topics that are relevant to the development of library and information science, target audience: Determining who the primary participants of the conference will be, format and schedule: Setting the format (virtual/hybrid) and creating the event timeline, publication and funding: Planning a strategy for publishing conference proceedings and securing funding, organizing committee: Forming a strong team to ensure the event runs smoothly.
With the start of this collaboration, it is hoped that the 2025 Indonesia-Africa International Conference on Library and Information Science will not only be a platform for the exchange of knowledge but also a bridge for building a strong academic relationship between Indonesia and Nigeria. The success of this conference will be a significant milestone in enhancing the reputation of the JKIP Journal on the international stage and opening up broader opportunities for joint research.
