Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta (UPY) shows a strong commitment to playing an active role in developing Indonesia’s human resources, especially in the education sector. In order to make this happen, UPY has collaborated with the International Transnational Education Association (ITEA). ITEA is a platform for higher education exchange between countries around the world. The collaboration between UPY and ITEA was realized by holding an International Seminar with the theme ” Seminar on International Cooperation & Internationalization of Higher Education in Indonesia and Inaugural Ceremony of the International Transnational Education Association (ITEA)”, and launching ITEA on October 26 2023 at the UPY Auditorium. This event received wide support from various parties, including the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Indonesia, ITEA, ICCCM (International Cultural Communication Center Malaysia), the local Education Service, Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, and the Association of Informatics and Computer Science Universities (APTIKOM).
This international seminar presented a number of prominent speakers, such as Prof. Muhammad Nuh (Honorary President of ITEA), Nicy Bai (Chair of ICCCM from China), Loo Hui Ann (Executive Director of ICCCM Malaysia), Dr. Gibril JAW-NAQAA, UPY Chancellor Dr. Ir. Paiman, MP, Prof. drh. Aris Junaidi, Ph.D (Head of LLDIKTI Region V), H. Abdul Halim Muslih (Regent of Bantul), Prof. Erri Julian T. Adesta (UIGM), Dr. Eva Handriyantini, S.Kom., M.MT (APTIKOM), Prof. Didik Sulistyanto (Borobudur University), Dr. Wahyudi (SEAMEO SEAMOLEC), and Dr. Siti Nuzulia (UNNES). This event was held offline at the UPY Auditorium which was attended by 120 campuses in Indonesia. There is a strong emphasis in the discussion of this international seminar on building international cooperation, especially the importance of preparing human resources so that they have the ability to collaborate and have a spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation, so that they can utilize globalization as a means to improve themselves and develop comprehensively.
Through this collaboration, UPY shows its strategic role in supporting the development of international standard education, by involving various leading parties from various countries. This event reflects UPY’s commitment to acting as an agent of change that advances Indonesian education and embraces various stakeholders.
On this occasion, it was followed by a Signing Ceremony conducted by Nicy Bai (Chair of ICCCM from China), Dr. Ir. Paiman, MP (UPY Chancellor), Prof. drh. Aris Junaidi, Ph.D (Head of LLDIKTI Region V), Dr. Eva Handriyantini, S.Kom., M.MT (APTIKOM), Dr. Wahyudi (SEAMEO SEAMOLEC), and Prof. Bambang (Borobudur University). This Signing Ceremony is an official form of starting international cooperation by confirming a joint commitment to achieving the goals set out in the agreement.
Apart from the International Seminar, the event also marked the opening of the ITEA office in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which is located on UPY campus 4. This shows further commitment to supporting international cooperation in the fields of education and human development. Nicy Bai struck the gong five times to indicate the official opening of the ITEA office in Indonesia.
It is hoped that collaboration between universities and international organizations such as ITEA will be able to produce strong synergy in terms of education, research and academic development. Things like this can strengthen the university’s reputation, improve the quality of education, and prepare students in particular to face global challenges in the future.