Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has formally joined the Universitas 21 (U21) network, making it the only Indonesian university to do so.
The membership was confirmed upon the letter submission by the Rector of UGM, Professor Ova Emilia, MD, and the prerequisite fulfillment in May 2023.
With UGM joining as a new member, the U21 network’s total membership increases to 28 leading research universities from 21 countries.
“UGM hopes that joining U21 will open up opportunities for broad partnerships and significant contributions to the academic community worldwide,” said Professor Emilia on Thursday (3/8).
The rector mentioned that the membership invitation arrived at the end of October 2022, when U21 had 27 members.
“Then, in April 2023, the Dean of the Faculty of Geography and I had the opportunity to attend the U21 Annual General Meeting in Australia as guests,” she explained.
U21 is a global network of top research-intensive universities that focuses on hybridity, fulfilling its members’ needs, sustainability, diversity, and opportunities for engagement.
Its strategic priorities include providing international student experience for increased student capacity, engagement, mobility, and career readiness, developing students’ leadership skills that focus on social and environmental challenges through the U21 Global Citizens Programme, offering micro-internships, symposia, mid-career researcher programs, research engagement, and more; all aims to benefit its members, including UGM.
Founded in 1997, U21 is committed to connecting people across borders with diverse cultures. UGM’s addition to U21 highlights the network’s focus on expanding geographical representation within its membership.
Professor Emilia expressed her excitement about entering the network. She believes that U21’s missions align with UGM’s goal of significantly addressing the world’s biggest challenges through long-term collaboration and advocacy.
“In terms of our contribution to U21, I am confident that UGM, as a new member of the network, can share best practices to enhance the global contribution of higher education to society and play a significant role in the field,” she explained.
Provost of U21, Professor Jenny Dixon, said that one of U21’s robust features is sharing best practices across the membership. The presence of UGM is expected to bring an exciting new dimension to the network, including its internationally recognized community service program for undergraduate students as an effort to shape future young leaders.
“We look forward to UGM’s roles in U21 and anticipate the knowledge and perspectives they will bring as a diverse population from Southeast Asia,” Professor Dixon expressed.
The 28 universities currently part of the U21 network include Universidad Católica de Chile Tecnológico de Monterrey; University of California, Davis; University of Maryland; University of Connecticut; McMaster University; University College Dublin; University of Birmingham; University of Nottingham; University of Glasgow; University of Edinburgh; University of Zurich; University of Amsterdam; KU Leuven; Lund University; University of Johannesburg; University of Delhi; Hong Kong University; Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Fudan University; National University of Singapore; Waseda University; Korea University; University of Melbourne; University of Auckland; University of Queensland; University of New South Wales; The University of Sydney; and Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: UGM Office of International Affairs