Universitas Indonesia (UI) hosted a delegation from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to discuss potential academic collaborations. The meeting highlighted a significant milestone: if formalized, UCSC would become the first university in the United States to establish a joint degree program with UI, presenting a remarkable academic opportunity for students from both institutions.
The delegation from the University of California, Santa Cruz was led by Prof. Alexander L. Wolf, Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering. He was accompanied by:
The Universitas Indonesia delegation was led by:
During the meeting, UCSC introduced its rich institutional profile. Founded in 1965, the university boasts a legacy of academic excellence, including one Nobel Prize and thirteen Pulitzer Prizes. Adding a unique cultural connection, UCSC shared that it also hosts a gamelan orchestra on its campus. Representatives from UCSC’s Computer Science department provided an overview of their primary research areas, which encompass artificial intelligence, programming languages, design, and architecture, and inquired about the extent of student involvement in research projects within UI’s faculties.
A central focus of the discussion was the proposed joint degree program. UCSC suggested a new collaboration model where students would complete their first two years of study at UI before spending their final two years at UCSC. Both parties noted that this pioneering joint degree would be highly attractive to Indonesian students aspiring to study in the US. Approaching the collaboration strategically, the Dean of UI’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) emphasized that the partnership should ideally begin with joint research between academic staff. By mapping research clusters through FISIP UI’s official website, researchers from both universities can align their expertise, gradually paving the way for larger initiatives like the joint degree.
Expanding the scope of cooperation, UI invited UCSC students to participate in its cultural and academic immersion programs, such as summer and winter courses lasting under a month. Furthermore, UI welcomed UCSC faculty to deliver guest lectures as part of an active academic exchange. The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to advance these initiatives through further discussions on an exchange agreement. Both institutions will arrange follow-up online meetings between respective faculties to dive deeper into joint research, joint degrees, and other forms of academic collaboration.
Photo Credit: Directorate for Internationalization of Education
