Student mobility through exchange programs and cross-border degree studies has become a crucial indicator of higher education internationalisation. As a university committed to global quality standards, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has received an award as the State University with the Highest Student Mobility Performance (degree-seeking) at the 2025 Diktisaintek Awards.
This achievement reaffirms that UGM is on the right track toward becoming a world-class university through consistent academic quality, sound governance, and strong international cooperation and recognition.
Director of Education and Teaching at UGM, Professor Gandes Retno Rahayu, stated that this accomplishment also serves as a strategic foundation for UGM to expand its global impact while maintaining its identity as a people-oriented university.
Furthermore, Professor Rahayu emphasised that this success is the result of synergy among all elements of the university, driven by strong leadership from the Rector and Vice Rectors of UGM.
“This achievement is the collective work of all units at UGM, from study programs and faculties/schools to cross-unit collaborations, including DKRG, DPP, Ditmawa, DKIA, SPMRU, as well as the support of alumni,” she explained on Thursday (Dec. 31).
In efforts to attract international students, Professor Rahayu noted that UGM offers a wide range of disciplines through various degree programs. These range from regular programs complemented by Indonesian language courses at the UGM Faculty of Cultural Sciences Language Center to international undergraduate and postgraduate programs. One of the flagship schemes is the Double Degree (DD) and Joint Degree (JD) programs.
She explained that both DD and JD programs enable reciprocal exchanges of students and lecturers between UGM and its overseas partner universities.
According to her, these programs add significant value to the UGM academic community by fostering interaction with students and lecturers from different countries, cultures, and perspectives, broadening horizons, and facilitating the exchange of best practices in teaching and learning.
She further stressed that internationalisation through joint degrees has a substantial long-term impact. These programs represent a strategic form of internationalisation with lasting benefits.
“They not only mobilise students, but also align academic standards, curricula, and global recognition,” she elaborated.
To support the operational aspects of student mobility, Professor Rahayu explained that UGM has established a robust funding ecosystem.
“The various degree programs are supported by a wide range of scholarships from multiple funding sources, such as TIAS, KNB, Erasmus ICM+, and others,” she said.
In addition to external scholarships, UGM also provides internal funding schemes, including tuition fee waivers, mobility assistance, and living allowances, through cooperation agreements.
“Going forward, UGM is preparing more integrated and proactive support for students, focusing on curriculum harmonisation across partner institutions, strengthening financing schemes, and providing one-stop academic and administrative support services,” she concluded.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian