Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) welcomed the visit of Dr. (H.C.) Al Busyra Basnur, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the African Union (2019–2025), on Friday (Oct. 31) at the UGM Rector’s Guest Room. The visit discussed opportunities to strengthen academic partnerships between UGM and universities across Africa, as well as to expand international collaboration networks in education, research, and student exchange.
Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Professor Wening Udasmoro, expressed her enthusiasm for the prospective collaboration and emphasized the importance of cross-regional academic partnerships.
“UGM is always open to global collaborations that strengthen research networks and knowledge exchange,” she stated.
Responding to the collaboration plan, Professor Udasmoro noted that UGM has also been actively developing partnerships through various international scholarship programs such as Darmasiswa, the Indonesian AID Scholarship (TIAS), and the Developing Countries Partnership (KNB).
According to her, these scholarship programs serve as important platforms for international students seeking to study in Indonesia, particularly at UGM.
“We continue to expand Indonesian language training programs at UGM, which have received tremendous enthusiasm, even from participants around the world, including foreign diplomats,” she added.
Professor Udasmoro also highlighted UGM’s international collaborations through the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), established in 2006 in partnership with Duta Wacana Christian University (UKDW) and Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN Sunan Kalijaga).
She stated that the program exemplifies UGM’s academic excellence in religious studies, with an emphasis on interfaith dialogue and tolerance. This approach, she noted, is expected to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation across faiths, both nationally and internationally.
“UGM has a strong reputation in the study of religion and culture, including through the Interfaith Dialogue program under ICRS, which is recognized as one of the best in the world. This collaboration will expand networks and enhance UGM’s role in knowledge diplomacy,” she explained.
During his visit, Dr. Basnur shared his perspective on Africa’s vast potential as a strategic partner for Indonesia in the field of higher education. He noted that Indonesians’ perceptions of Africa often remain outdated, despite several countries in the region having recorded impressive economic growth, averaging over 10 percent in the past decade.
“Africa is no longer a lagging region. Countries such as Ethiopia have made remarkable progress in both the economy and education. This is the right moment for Indonesian universities, including UGM, to strengthen academic collaborations with African universities,” said Dr. Basnur.
Dr. Basnur further explained that during his six-year tenure in Addis Ababa, he successfully facilitated the signing of 49 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between Indonesian and African universities.
Previously, only two active MoUs existed between Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) and IPB University with Ethiopian universities. He expressed his hope that each agreement would be followed up with concrete actions.
“We hope this partnership with UGM will serve as a strategic step to strengthen educational diplomacy and expand global collaboration,” he concluded.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian