Universitas Indonesia (UI) hosted a delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) Thailand, which included representatives from Chulalongkorn University and North-Chiang Mai University. The meeting aimed to foster collaboration, share best practices in research and sustainability, and strengthen bilateral ties between higher education institutions in Indonesia and Thailand.
The delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) Thailand was led by Assoc. Prof. Nantana Gajaseni, PhD. She was accompanied by:
The Universitas Indonesia delegation was led by Prof. Ir. Mahmud Sudibandriyo, M.Sc., Ph.D., Vice Rector for Academic and was accompanied by:
Prof. Ir. Mahmud Sudibandriyo opened the meeting by welcoming the MHESI representatives in a spirit of openness, collaboration, and friendship. The MHESI delegation explained that their visit to UI was primarily driven by UI’s extensive experience in community development and research, noting that they had previously visited the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). They also shared that their mission to expand international cooperation networks has recently taken them to universities in the United Kingdom and China.
During the discussion, UI emphasized its commitment to increasing the number of international students as a core part of its campus internationalization strategy. When asked about branding and visibility, UI explained that its strategy focuses on benchmarking against international competitor universities rather than domestic ones. Highlighting existing strong ties with Thailand, UI noted its active collaborations not only with Chulalongkorn University but also with Thammasat University and Prince of Songkla University, which involve sending lecturers and students to study Indonesian culture at UI. The representative from Chulalongkorn University echoed this strong bilateral relationship, noting the high number of Indonesian students currently studying at their campus.
Sustainability was another major focal point of the meeting. UI introduced the UI GreenMetric innovation, a globally recognized sustainability ranking system involving thousands of universities worldwide, managed by a dedicated unit at UI. UI shared concrete steps it has taken to rapidly improve its campus sustainability, such as installing solar panels to reduce electricity consumption by more than 30%. Furthermore, UI mandates that every faculty actively adhere to UI GreenMetric criteria as part of the university’s overarching sustainability commitment.
Exploring new avenues for academic partnership, UI proposed the development of digital learning materials as a potential new area of collaboration. The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (FIB) highlighted that both parties share a common vision of enhancing students’ global engagement. Adding to this, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) emphasized the vast array of potential fields ready for joint exploration between the institutions.
The meeting concluded with a shared optimism that the cooperation between UI and MHESI will be significantly strengthened in the near future through concrete follow-up actions in academics, research, and the exchange of students and lecturers.
Photo Credit: Directorate of Public Relations, Media, Government, and International Affairs
