Depok – The Faculty of Education (FoE) of Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) held a workshop titled From Partnerships to Proposals: Navigating International Funding Opportunities on 6 October 2026 at the Faculty A Lecture Hall. The session featured Assistant Professor Sitti Maesuri Patahuddin, PhD, Lecturer at the University of Canberra, and was attended by FoE students. 

The workshop explored how international funding proposals can be developed through strong partnerships. Rather than focusing only on finding funding opportunities, participants were introduced to a process that begins with identifying an important problem, building relationships, developing a shared purpose, and designing a project together before finding suitable funding opportunities. 

Dr. Sitti highlighted a key discussion focused on the idea that “partnerships are not logos.” A strong partnership, as presented during the session, exists when a problem requires capabilities that no single partner can provide. Students were encouraged to consider four questions when identifying potential partners: Why us? Why them? Why together? Why now? 

The session also introduced three stages of partnership maturity: transactional, collaborative, and strategic. Students then worked in groups through a worksheet activity, discussing potential partnerships, the contributions of each partner, and the roles they could play. 

The workshop was highly interactive, with students discussing their ideas in groups before representatives presented their discussions to the room. They also participated in a critical-friend feedback session, considering whether the problem was clear, whether the partnership was necessary, and whether the intended change was convincing. 

The session brought these stages together through the process of Problem → Partners → Project → Funder Fit → Proposal → Pitch → Action. Students were also encouraged to identify concrete steps they could take within the next 30 days to move their ideas forward. 

Beyond funding and proposal development, the workshop highlighted the importance of building connections with others. Participants were encouraged to engage with people and build meaningful relationships, as we never know what the future may bring or which connections may eventually become important to our journey. 

Through the workshop, FoE students gained a practical perspective on how ideas can develop through partnerships, grow into collaborative projects, and eventually become proposals for international funding opportunities.