International Office and Executive Secretariat (KISE) of UPN “Veteran” East Java welcomed the Head of the Geodetic Engineering Study Program at Gadjah Mada University, I Made Andi Arsana, ST, ME, Ph.D., at the Grand Dafam Hotel in Surabaya on August 3rd. Speaking in front of faculty members and educational staff responsible for internationalization from various study programs, the former Head of International Affairs (KUI) explained the significance of internationalization and why it matters.
“We (Indonesia) cannot isolate ourselves from the world. We can benefit from the world, but we also have the opportunity to contribute to the world. Therefore, we must always strive to collaborate with others,” Andi said while highlighting that Indonesia’s land area is surprisingly equivalent to that of the entire continent of Europe.
From the outset, Maria Indira Aryani, S.I.P., M.Hub.Int., Head of KISE, had emphasized that UPN “Veteran” East Java still had to make significant strides to catch up with internationalization. This is because KISE was established in 2021, and international affairs in the preceding years could only partially be realized. “But I remain positive. It’s never too late. In fact, now is the moment to think together,” Maria said in her opening remarks.
As the Head of KUI at Gadjah Mada University since 2014, Andi has been involved in numerous collaborations with other countries. Currently, Gadjah Mada University collaborates with countries on five continents. Hence, the information provided was comprehensive and substantial. Participants of the workshop titled “Whose Responsibility is Internationalization?” left the session enlightened.
According to Andi, the most common obstacle for a university to go international is the belief that they don’t have enough “ammunition” to offer. However, fundamentally, all universities worldwide share the same orientation: THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings.
“If we want international students, those universities abroad also need their students to go abroad. So, it’s like matchmaking because the interests are mutual. We help each other,” explained the Bali native, continuing his presentation with examples of international activities that can be undertaken, often with minimal costs.
“Previously, I was unsure how the University Library could contribute to internationalization. But after listening to Mr. Andi’s explanation, I have some ideas now. Hopefully, they can be implemented in the future,” said Lisa Nadya Irawan, S.IP, an educational staff member at the UPN “Veteran” East Java Library.
Not only did KISE provide a platform for participants to listen to Andi’s insights, but they also encouraged them to draft plans for internationalization activities that could be implemented within their respective study programs (academic units for educational staff). These activity ideas were presented and received feedback from Andi. KISE welcomed the enthusiastic ideas from participants, signaling positive progress towards UPN “Veteran” East Java’s goal to enhance ASEAN competitiveness in line with the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan (Renstra).
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