UAD Expands Cooperation to Spain

UAD, represented by Dr. Kasiyarno, M.Hum. (Rector of UAD) and Ida Puspita, M.A.Res. (Head of the International Affairs Office UAD) and some representatives of private universities in Yogyakarta, which is under the Coordinator of Private Universities (KOPERTIS) 5 Yogyakarta in cooperation with the Association of Indonesian Private University APTISI attended the invitation of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KONJEN Indonesia) in Madrid, Spain in order to to follow the Indonesian Education Exhibition in Spain. Delegates were in Spain from June 14 to October 24, 2016

During the visit to Spain, there were several agendas pursued by the delegations following the educational exhibition at the Embassy of Spain. This educational exhibition was attended by 40 universities in Spain. Beside the exhibition, the delegations also sought an opportunity of cooperation with two universities in Spain. They were Universitat Jaume I in Castello and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Barcelona. Cooperation opportunities that can be initiated are a credit transfer program, visiting professor, summer course, sending Indonesian teachers, and others.

For UAD, this is not the first collaboration activities with universities in Europe. UAD own MOU with universities in the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. Realization of activities in the form of cooperation that have been done by UAD were sending lecturers to study at partner universities in Hungary and the Netherlands, joint research and visiting professor at universities in the Netherlands, and a visiting professor with partners from Germany.

“It is an excellent opportunity to have cooperation with Spain. Establishing educational cooperation with Spain is not easy. Then, this can be seen as a challenge and an opportunity. Moreover, the new Spanish government has released a policy of "Looking to the East" which can be a gateway opening closer cooperation in various fields including education, "said Ida Puspita M.A.Res.

Furthermore, the lecturer of English Literature Study Program UAD explained that after education fairs and the initiation of cooperation, the results have been already noticeable. This is shown by the desire of the Director of the Asian Relations Forum of Spain for initiating research cooperation opportunities with UAD and the opportunity to send Indonesian teachers to Spain.