Ecobiz.asia — Six universities from Indonesia and abroad have agreed to strengthen research collaboration on Sumatran elephant conservation in the Peusangan Landscape, Aceh Province.
The initiative forms part of efforts to advance the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI), launched by WWF-Indonesia in partnership with the Ministry of Forestry and PT Tusam Hutani Lestari in 2025.
The research collaboration aims to support the establishment of the PECI Center as a hub for science, innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in Sumatran elephant conservation, with support from HSBC Indonesia.
WWF-Indonesia Conservation Director Dewi Lestari Yani Rizki said university involvement is critical to strengthening science-based approaches.
“Universities play a strategic role as multidisciplinary research centers to address the challenges of Sumatran elephant conservation in Aceh,” she said in a press statement in Banda Aceh on Friday (April 17, 2026).
She added that the collaboration will consolidate expertise across disciplines to develop best practices in conservation.
Abubakar, head of the Coffee and Cocoa Research Center at Syiah Kuala University, said participating institutions have outlined a joint action plan, including research on human-elephant coexistence.
“Research will focus on mitigating human-elephant conflict and developing sustainable economic activities in the Peusangan Landscape, including education, training, and policy advocacy,” he said.
Private sector support has also been mobilized to fund the development of the PECI Center. HSBC Indonesia Head of Corporate Sustainability Nuni Sutyoko said the collaboration aims to scale up sustainable conservation models.
“Through collaboration with universities and WWF, we aim to ensure this model can be expanded and serve as an example of sustainable human-elephant coexistence,” she said.
The PECI program in the Peusangan Landscape is also supported by the Indonesian and UK governments as part of broader efforts to strengthen landscape-based wildlife conservation and improve the resilience of forest-dependent communities. ***
