Educational Tie for Stronger Southeast Asia
August 23, 2024Contributor: Supriyono | Editor: Dadi Darmadi | Photo: Achmad Jatnika
The Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS) at Universitas Islam International Indonesia (UIII) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration of Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at the Smart Meeting Room, Faculty A Building, UIII Campus in Depok, West Java.
Dr. Philips J. Vermonte, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at UIII, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating that the partnership is expected to strengthen the study of political science and Southeast Asia studies. “This partnership marks a significant step towards enhancing our academic and research capabilities. We look forward to a fruitful cooperation with Chiang Mai University.”
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This MoA established a framework for cooperation between the two institutions, focusing on fostering academic research and educational collaboration. Key areas of cooperation include exchange of students and interns, faculty members and staff, study abroad programs, joint research activities, publications, and international conferences, as well as other mutually agreed-upon activities.
The delegation from Chiang Mai University included Asst. Prof. Malinee Khumsupa, the Head of the School of Politics and Government, and a group of lecturers: Asst. Prof. Supitcha Punya, Asst. Prof. Ram Jotikut, Dr. Pran Jintrawet, and Dr. Matthew Robson. Before the MoA signing, representatives from both universities discussed their research interests to find potential areas of collaboration.
“We want to have a dual degree for bachelor’s and master’s programs. We hope that in the future, through this collaboration, we can send our students here to learn about Indonesia,” said Asst. Prof. Malinee Khumsupa.
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One of the topics discussed was how to make Southeast Asia the center of excellence for Southeast Asia studies. “What we see today is that students come to Japan to study Southeast Asia, or they come to the US to study Indonesia. This indicates that there is something wrong with our educational system,” said UIII senior lecturer Prof. Farish A. Noor.
Hence, the MoA between UIII and Chiang Mai University is a pivotal step toward redefining the academic landscape of Southeast Asia. The partnership exemplifies the potential of regional cooperation in higher education that is further expected to contribute to the broader goal of establishing Southeast Asia as a global hub for political science and Southeast Asian studies.
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