Universitas Indonesia and Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University Expand Strategic Ties in Transnational Education, AI-Driven Learning, and Joint Innovation Ecosystems

Universitas Indonesia (UI) recently welcomed a distinguished delegation from Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to establish a robust strategic partnership. The high-level dialogue focused on bridging academic excellence with industrial application, exploring comprehensive collaborations in research commercialization, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cross-border student and faculty mobility.

The delegation from Khalifa University included:

• Prof. Bayan Sharif – Provost
• Dr. Ashraf Najdawi – Acting Vice President
• Ms. Xu Xu – Secretary
• Prof. Hadi Susanto – Mathematics Professor

The Universitas Indonesia delegation was led by Prof. Dr. Hamdi Muluk, M.Si., Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Student Affairs, and Alumni, joined by:

• Prof. Dr. Tito Latif Indra, S.Si., M.Si – Dean, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA)
• Dicky C. Pelupessy, Ph.D. – Dean, Faculty of Psychology
• Chairul Hudaya, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D. – Director of High-Impact Innovation and Research
• Prof. Debora Eflina Purba, S.S., M.Si., Ph.D. – Director of Research Funding and Ecosystem
• Zico Alaia Akbar Junior, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D. – Manager of Research Ecosystem and Impactful Science Commercialization, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• Dr. Ir. Ifan Haryanto, M.Sc. – Special Advisor to the Rector for Strategic Institutional Relations
• Ir. Jaka Fajar Fatriansyah, M.Sc., Ph.D., ASEAN Eng., IPU – Head of the Sub-Directorate of International Education Development, Directorate for Internationalization of Education

During the comprehensive meeting, both institutions agreed to aggressively scale up student and faculty mobility, academic visits, and joint conferences. A major academic priority is the establishment of Master’s and Ph.D. Joint and Double Degree programs, underpinned by co-supervision frameworks and strategically aligned with prominent scholarship funding models, such as Indonesia’s LPDP. To facilitate borderless learning, the universities will harness advanced AI technologies, including automated translation and smart lecture recording, to support seamless cross-border education and routine hybrid guest lectures.

The dialogue also heavily emphasized research and industrial integration. UI presented its 12 flagship research clusters, strategically designed to boost international grant competitiveness and high-impact publications. In response, XJTLU showcased its dynamic innovation ecosystem, which successfully bridges academia, industry, and government through dedicated science parks, R&D centers, and business incubators. Both parties committed to replicating this success through open labs, joint research, and comprehensive entrepreneurship development. Furthermore, XJTLU offered to share its extensive expertise in transnational university governance, opening doors for UI to explore collaborative footprints across XJTLU’s international hubs in Suzhou, Thailand, Singapore, and Hungary.

The meeting concluded with a highly structured action plan to ensure immediate implementation. As a first step, UI will officially share its detailed research cluster profiles to align specific faculty synergies. Both universities will establish a routine monthly or bi-monthly communication mechanism to monitor progress, targeting the finalization of the collaborative degree proposals with China by the end of the year. Moving forward, technical teams will continue to navigate the necessary regulatory approvals, design the joint curriculums, and finalize the financial schemes required to launch the inaugural pilot programs.

Photo Credit: Directorate of Public Relations, Media, Government, and International Affairs