Universitas Indonesia (UI) hosted a delegation from the University of Michigan (UM), USA, to explore potential academic and research collaborations between the two leading public universities. The meeting marked the beginning of discussions toward formalizing future partnerships, including possible agreements on joint programs, research initiatives, and student exchanges.
The University of Michigan delegation included:
Amy Carey, Assistant Vice Provost for International Engagement
Prof. Andries Coetzee, Director of International Partnerships, College of Literature, Science and the Arts; Professor of Linguistics
Kim Elliott, Assistant Dean, School of Environment and Sustainability
Prof. David Sept, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives, Rackham Graduate School; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Medical School; Professor of Biophysics, College of Literature, Science and the Arts
Emily Swafford, Assistant Dean, Rackham Graduate School
Representing Universitas Indonesia were:
Prof. Ir. Mahmud Sudibandriyo, M.Sc., Ph.D., Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs
Rouli Esther, M.Si., M.A., Ph.D., Acting Vice Dean for Academic, Research, and Student Affairs, Faculty of Humanities
Dr. Fuad Ghani, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, School of Strategic and Global Studies – School of Environmental Science
Andyka Kusuma, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., Manager for International Partnership and Education, Faculty of Engineering
Finda Salsabila, M.A., Deputy Director for Campus Protocol, Directorate of Public Relations, Media, Government and International
Dr. Muthia Pramesti, S.E., M.M., Assistant Director, International Education Program Development and Partnership, Directorate for Internationalization of Education
The meeting began with opening remarks from Prof. Mahmud Sudibandriyo, followed by an introduction from Amy Carey, who expressed UM’s interest in exploring collaborations with UI as one of Indonesia’s leading universities.
Dr. Fuad Ghani presented the academic and research opportunities within UI’s Graduate School, emphasizing programs such as Environmental Science, Disaster Management, American Studies, Japanese Studies, Middle East Studies, Gender Studies, Urban Development, and Terrorism Studies. He also introduced the Graduate School of Sustainable Development, which merges UI’s School of Environmental Science (SIL) and School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG).
Responding to this, Kim Elliott noted the alignment between UI’s programs and UM’s School of Environment and Sustainability, expressing strong interest in developing joint research projects and capstone collaborations, with the potential for a joint master’s degree in the future.
Prof. Andries Coetzee shared insights on UM’s research centers within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, highlighting opportunities for collaboration in Southeast Asian Studies, an area of growing focus at UM. He also mentioned UM’s upcoming 200th anniversary and its extensive global alumni network of over 700,000 members, including Indonesia’s current Ambassador to the United States.
Dr. Rouli Esther presented potential non-degree opportunities through UI’s Faculty of Humanities, including 1–2 semester exchange programs, short summer courses (July–August) that introduce Indonesian culture, and initiatives in joint and double degree programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels.
From the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Ir. Widodo Wahyu Purwanto, DEA. introduced UI’s Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) division, which integrates eight departments and multiple research centers, including a Biomedical Engineering Research Center that collaborates with UC Berkeley.
Prof. David Sept noted several parallels between UI and UM in the fields of naval engineering, satellite engineering, and biomedical engineering, suggesting opportunities for short-term exchanges and collaborative research.
Dr. Muthia Pramesti emphasized Indonesia’s growing support for Joint Degree and Double Degree (JD/DD) programs under the Ministry of Higher Education, with funding opportunities from LPDP and other scholarship bodies. Amy Carey expressed keen interest in understanding Indonesia’s scholarship structures and how UM could engage with them in future partnerships.
Prof. Mahmud Sudibandriyo concluded the discussion by reaffirming UI’s commitment to establishing a JD/DD partnership with UM. He noted that while many UI students are self-funded, collaborations with highly ranked universities such as UM could attract stronger scholarship support from Indonesian funding agencies, enabling more students to benefit from international learning experiences.
Both universities agreed to continue dialogue to define specific areas of collaboration, with the shared goal of fostering academic excellence, research innovation, and cross-cultural understanding between Indonesia and the United States.
Photo Credit: Directorate of Public Relations, Media, Government and International Affairs
