Perak State, Malaysia Delegations Visit IPB University to Explore Collaboration on the OVOC (One Village One CEO) Program

Bogor, 17 October 2025 – IPB University welcomed delegations from Perak State, Malaysia, to explore potential collaboration in implementing the One Village One CEO (OVOC) program, one of IPB’s flagship initiatives.

The visit was attended by representatives from Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS), led by Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ahamed Kameel Mydin Meera, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research). Also joining were representatives from the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation (SADC)—Mohd Azhar Mohd Yusof, Chief Executive Officer; Mohd Kahar Mukhtarudin, Chief Operating Officer; along with several officers from the Food Security Academy and Perak SADC. In addition, Dato’ Haji Ismail Saffian, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Bina Upaya Darul Ridzuan, also took part in the visit.

The meeting was opened by Prof. Dr. Ir. Ernan Rustiadi, M.Agr., Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Community Development of IPB University. In his remarks, Prof. Ernan expressed his appreciation for the Malaysian delegation’s interest in the OVOC program. He emphasized that cross-border collaboration is crucial to strengthening academic networks and expanding the social impact of university innovations.

The One Village One CEO (OVOC) program is an initiative of IPB University in which students or alumni serve as “village CEOs,” leading efforts to develop local economic potential. Through this program, IPB assists villages in identifying their key commodities, enhancing product value, and expanding market access to the international level. Notable achievements of this program include the export of purple sweet potatoes, processed goat products, and organic planting media to Malaysia and Singapore.

The Malaysian delegations expressed strong interest in adopting the OVOC model in Perak. They plan to collaborate with IPB University through training programs, technical assistance, and the appointment of USAS students as village CEOs in selected pilot villages in Malaysia. This partnership is expected to mark an important step toward developing innovation- and entrepreneurship-based rural communities in the region.

The meeting concluded on an optimistic note, with both parties agreeing to follow up by formulating a more concrete cooperation agreement in the near future.