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| UMM Chancellor Dr. Fauzan, M.Pd. (far right) and Vice-Chancellor II of UMM Dr. Nazaruddin Malik, M.Si. (far left) is pictured with representatives of King's College London. |
The international network of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) continues to expand. This time, UMM White Campus received a visit from the King's College London (KCL) team, England, on Friday (6/7). This visit also emphasized UMM's commitment to becoming a world-class university that produces useful things to advance the community.
Deputy Vice President of Global Business Development KCL Helen Bailey was happy to be able to visit various universities in Indonesia, especially UMM. According to him, this project, funded by the British Council, can provide multiple options and opportunities for building cooperation. Especially collaboration in potential fields such as education and economics.
In the meeting, the KCL, UMM, and Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Singhasari team discussed various opportunities for cooperation. Not only limited to education but also health. Helen, her nickname, said that the fields of engineering and digital are possible things to work together.
"I think we can develop things related to fintech and data science well. A series of short courses can also be held, curriculum development, and even academic community exchanges. With a longer discussion, I am sure that they will create effective programs such as summer school and joint research," she added.
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Helen considered that the facilities and quality of UMM were awe-inspiring. Good educational environment and high student satisfaction. She also appreciated the various innovations produced by the UMM White Campus, one of which was the Center of Excellence (CoE). Even with the hospitality she received, not only from officials and employees but also from his students.
She also considered that the differences were an exciting thing. From there, there will be high curiosity from both of them. How different cultures, mindsets, and solution models can go hand in hand and eventually create a helpful solution innovation.
"I think there are several words that can represent UMM, namely innovative, unexpected, friendly, community, and also a green campus. I like a campus that has not only interesting learning and enthusiastic academics but also a campus that is decorated with many plants like UMM," she said.
Until now, UMM has had more than 2,600 collaborations, including international partnerships spread across various continents. There is Erasmus Mundus on the European continent, which includes a series of universities such as Spain's Universidad de Murcia, Poland's Wrocalw University, Portugal's Universidade Do Minho, and others. There are also collaborations in the South American continent, such as the Universidad Nacional de Colombia to the Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB) Brazil. UMM also has a similar collaboration in Asia, North America, and Africa.
UMM Chancellor Dr. Fauzan, M.Pd., considered that this meeting was a strategic step for each party. He wanted it to be followed up immediately so that it could encourage the acceleration of higher education progress for both UMM and KCL. Moreover, seeing the potential of the two equally great universities, especially at the international level.
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"This meeting is the beginning of a long series of collaborative programs. Moreover, until now, UMM already has an international cooperation network in more than 35 countries. Of course, KCL will be a good partner in developing various international activities," said Fauzan.
Fauzan saw that the visit of KCL could strengthen the innovations that UMM had implemented. Mainly CoE and the Center for Future of Work (CFW) are expected to give birth to future generations who have qualified skills. He believes international cooperation will have a significant effect on the more than 20 CoEs already inaugurated, likewise with CFW, which provides future work-oriented classes.
"Hopefully, there will be concrete implications and applications after this meeting. How can both parties help each other to advance and achieve their respective targets," he concluded. (apg/wil)
