Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and Unud Postgraduate Program Initiate Education and Research Cooperation

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture will be the venue of the first visit of the University of Udayana (Unud) Postgraduate Program (PPS) team to Japan on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. The team of the cooperative visit of Unud Graduate program to Japan will be led directly by the Director of the Unud Postgrado Program, Prof. Dr. Ir. I Wayan Budiasa, S.P., M.P, IPU, ASEAN Eng, accompanied by the Deputy Director of General Affairs, Finance and Cooperation, Dr. I Gusti Ayu Putri Kartika, SH., MH., Coordinator of the Master's Program in Environmental Sciences, Prof. Ir. Ida Ayu Astarini, MSc., PhD., and Coordinator Unit of Information Management and Cooperation (UPIKS), Dr. Ir. Ngurah Indra ER, ST., MSc.

 

One day after arriving at Haneda, Tokyo airport and taking an eight-hour journey to the city of Beppu, PPS Unud's collaborative visiting team was welcomed at the Ritsumeikan APU campus in the hilly area west of the township and Beppo Bay, Oita. The team was warmly welcomed by the Dean of the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Prof. Yoichiro SATO, Associate Prof. Nariman DAHLAN, of the College of Sustainability and Tourism, and Mr. Kenji NAKAGAWA, Senior Admission Counselor of the International Admissions Office. The meeting was held in a well-organized and modern meeting room with a green hue in line with the university theme of April 1, 2020.

 

The meeting opened with a brief reception and introduction from Prof. Sato who gave an overview of the development of his university along with the areas that became outstanding. “Cooperation with universities in Indonesia at the postgraduate level we have had with the University of Indonesia (UI) and University of Brawijaya (UB)”, he added. “Graduate students from the two universities are the result of the selection of Bappenas and JICA”, he said. Prof. Sato also specifically asked why University of Udayana is interested in establishing cooperation with Ritsumeikan APU University.

 

Furthermore, Prof. I Wayan Budiasa also gave a greeting, introducing the PPS Unud team, as well as expressing gratitude for the reception of Ritsumeikan APU representatives. He said, “Thank you for the extraordinary reception and welcome, and we very much want this visit to be the beginning of various long-term cooperation ahead.” Prof. Budiosa also stated that he was present at the meeting with Bappenas and JICA in Indonesia which revealed Ritsomeikan AP U as one of the university partners abroad that can be counted to cooperate, primarily in the field of education, with the existing funding scheme. Dr. I Gusti Ayu Princess Kartika also placed questions about the patterns of cooperation that have been running with the universities in Indonesia, which subsequently became the material of a fairly long discussion. Prof. Ida Ayu Astarini gives an answer on the reason for the election of Ritsumeikan APU, “In connection with the continuing internationalization of Unud, the postgraduate program as well as the prodi under its shadow must have a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) with leading universities abroad as a Key Performance Indicator (IKU). Ritsumeikan APU's field of excellence is very much in line with that of Postgraduate Unud." He added, "That's why we're very interested to come directly to APU."

 

In conclusion, both sides agreed that various collaborations could begin to be discussed in greater depth. Both from activities that are easy to organize immediately, such as guest lectures and joint lectures, to forms of collaboration that require deeper discussion, like double-degree or dual-grade for graduate students. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Ngurah Indra had the opportunity to ask the willingness of the Ritsumeikan APU to come to Bali, after all the cooperation documents have been approved. “Maybe after everything is ready, the head of Ritsumeikan APU and teams can respond to our visit and come to bali to sign the MoU with the leader of Unud as well as the PKS with the leader of Unud Postgraduate Program?”, the request was welcomed with an enthusiastic smiles from Ritsumeikan's APU teams sign of agreement. (nie)