Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) played host to a delegation from the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), USA, on Monday (Jan. 15). This visit from UMKC marks the preliminary steps in an exploration of collaborative ventures in academic affairs and research.
Guiding the UMKC delegation were the UMKC Chancellor, Dr. C. Mauli Agrawal, and the Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at UMKC, Dr. Kevin Truman.
Their visit was met with a warm reception from the UGM Vice-Rector for Planning, Assets, and Information Systems, Dr. Arief Setiawan Budi Nugroho. Among the gathering were key figures from both universities, adding depth to the unfolding discourse.
Dr. Mauli Agrawal expressed his delight at being on UGM’s grounds, expressing hopes that this meeting would catalyze an expansive collaboration. The discussions centered around potential collaborations in research initiatives and faculty and student exchanges.
“Through this meeting, we hope to maintain and strengthen relations with UGM and discuss future collaborations,” he explained.
Highlighting the prestige of UMKC’s engineering program, ranked 87th in 2024 by US News, Dr. Agrawal extended invitations for collaboration avenues such as the 2+2 double degree program, 3+1+1 master’s programs, short courses, summer courses, visiting lectures, visiting professors, and exchanges between students and faculty.
UMKC actively engages in the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program via the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA). This initiative provides enriching educational and research exchange experiences for UGM students.
Dr. Kevin Truman echoed the sentiment, underlining UMKC’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and education. He extended a global invitation, including to UGM students, to partake in UMKC’s latest STEM research and job opportunities in Kansas City, a distinguished program in the United States.
“We also offer an $8500 scholarship to support globalizing Indonesian education efforts,” he added.
Dr. Arief Nugroho embraced the collaborative overtures from UMKC, emphasizing the potential for mutual growth. He expressed optimism that this meeting would pave the way for updates and the exploration of diverse forms of collaboration between the two esteemed institutions.
“With this meeting, we hope to promptly follow up on collaboration in improving the mobility of UGM and UMKC students, especially in academics and research,” he remarked.
The meeting also delved into the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program at UMKC, providing a comprehensive overview of the collaborative landscape.
Author: Ika
Photographer: Firsto