Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and La Rochelle University (France) have agreed to extend their collaboration.
Both institutions officially signed a memorandum of understanding for the faculty and student exchange program and research cooperation.
Professor Jean-Marc Ogier, president of La Rochelle University, and Professor Wening Udasmoro, vice-rector for education and teaching at UGM, signed the memorandum at the executive meeting room on Tuesday (Oct. 23).
Professor Ogier welcomed the extension of this collaboration, noting that the partnership, established in 2009, has benefited both universities.
“The exchange of faculty researchers and students has been precious. I believe this agreement is well-suited to meet both institutions’ goals. We now have more opportunities to offer Indonesian and French language instruction in the fields of Literature and Language, as well as various collaborations in the humanities and sciences,” he said.
He further explained that La Rochelle University is currently focused on enhancing student competencies through specialized courses.
“We offer a Major and Minor program to develop additional skills for students, which complements their competencies. For instance, law students can take a Minor in digital technology,” he explained.
Professor Ogier added that La Rochelle is always eager to support students interested in the business world.
For those who have already started a business, he mentioned that La Rochelle offers training programs and has developed relationships with private companies to provide business students with hands-on experience in the industry.
In this latest agreement, Universitas Gadjah Mada and La Rochelle University also agreed to jointly carry out research activities and organize seminars, conferences, symposia, and other similar events.
Both institutions agreed to collaborate in education and research, specifically for faculty and researcher exchange. Meanwhile, the student exchange will cover study programs, research, or laboratory training.
Information, documents, publications, and other pedagogical materials will also be exchanged.
Professor Udasmoro mentioned that UGM is developing a new curriculum related to academic majors. UGM not only focuses on a single teaching method but also experiments with different designs. In its learning development, UGM is involving the industry.
“We are grateful to have the UGM Innovation and Creativity Center (GIK) as a central facility that connects students with external communities. We hope students will learn a great deal from their interactions with companies, exposure to technology, entrepreneurship development, and culture,” she stated.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photographer: Firsto
Post-editor: Afif