The Faculty of Geography at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has maintained its prominent position in the QS World University Ranking by Subject 2024, securing a spot in the 101-150 range globally, 21st in Asia, and 1st in Indonesia.
This achievement in breaking into the top 100 in the world is a proud achievement for the faculty. It maintains its status as a world-class higher education institution and consistently competes with renowned geography education institutions in Europe and Asia.
Dean of the UGM Faculty of Geography, Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, expressed joy and gratitude for its success in maintaining its reputation in the 101-150 global rankings. He believes that one of the keys to the faculty’s success is its continuous focus on improving the quality of its human resources.
The faculty proactively implements lifelong learning policies for lecturers and non-teaching staff. The faculty comprises 79 members, including 61 doctoral and 18 master’s degree holders, 15 of whom hold the title of full professor.
“The Faculty of Geography is committed to continuously enhancing its teaching capacity and quality. In addition to academic competence, faculty members are encouraged to improve their capacity in the industry by obtaining competency and professional certifications,” said Dean Hadmoko on Sunday (April 14).
According to him, the strengthening in education is expected to reinforce the impact of the quality of graduates from the Faculty of Geography. The faculty offers six study programs, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
“Each study program is continually updated to ensure that they remain relevant to global academic standards,” the dean added.
Three undergraduate programs have received ASIIN international accreditation to enhance internationalization programs and will undergo re-accreditation this year. Three master’s and doctoral programs will undergo ASIIN international accreditation for the first time.
Its double degree doctoral program has also collaborated with prestigious universities such as Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Université Montpellier, Chiba University, and Kobe University.
“The master’s program is also developed through international partner networks under the LPDP Double Degree scheme with Rijks Universiteit of Groningen, The Netherlands, for two master’s concentrations,” he explained.
Dean Hadmoko also attributed the success of the Faculty of Geography in ranking 101-150 globally to the productivity of international research and publications. In 2023, the number of reputable publications indexed in Scopus was recorded, with productivity showing that each faculty member produces 1-2 publications per year.
The research conducted receives support from various funding schemes, both internal and external, focusing on the theme “Sustainable Planet.” This research theme covers crucial research related to sustainability, climate change, the creation of smart and sustainable regions and environments, and disaster mitigation.
“The research per faculty ratio at the Faculty of Geography continues to increase, with an average of at least 1-2 research projects per faculty member,” the dean elaborated.
In strengthening international cooperation networks, over the past decade, the Faculty of Geography has been actively involved in global cross-continental consortia such as the Centre for Natural Resources and Development (CNRD), Southeast Asian Agriculture Consortia (SEARCA), Twincle (Japan & Southeast Asian Universities), Asian University Network (AUN), University 21 (U21), and many others.
Intensively, the faculty has also established partnerships with several top global universities, such as the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and the National University of Singapore, and actively participates in international forums such as UNEP, UNCCD, UNHabitat, PEDRR, G20 Land Initiatives.
For him, strengthening these global partnership networks solidifies the faculty’s position on the international stage. It enriches opportunities for more innovative research and education development.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Firsto