"The main reason for focusing Unand's collaboration on universities in the Southeast Asian region is related to financial consideration," Unand Deputy Rector for Education and Student Affairs Mansyurdin remarked.
The cost for exploring and implementing the collaboration with partner universities in Southeast Asia was cheaper than that of those in the United States and Europe, he noted in Padang City on Friday.
Despite that, Unand has just received good news that its proposal was accepted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mansyurdin stated.
As a result of the USAID Program, Unand is able to explore collaboration with universities in the United States, he added.
Regarding its international partnership program with overseas universities, Unand has quite recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).
Related news: Ministry seeks to make RI pioneer in ASEAN university collaboration
Thanks to the MoU, both Unand and UMPSA are able to promote a student exchange program. Unand alone has sent several students to UMPSA, he stated.
Unand is a public university whose main campus is located in the Limau Manis neighborhood of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra Province.
According to its official website, Unand, which currently manages 15 faculties and 156 undergraduate and postgraduate programs, was officially inaugurated by Indonesia's first vice president, Mohammad Hatta, on December 23, 1955.
It was recorded as the fourth public university that the Indonesian Government inaugurated.
Since 2016, Unand has been classified into the Cluster I Universities in Indonesia, and since 2021, the government placed it in the group of Indonesia's reputable universities with legal entity (PTN-BH).
In addition to its main campus in Limau Manis, Unand, which currently has over 32 thousand students, also has campuses in the districts of Payakumbuh and Dharmasraya.
Related news: UI hosts the ASEAN student arts and culture festival
Translator: M.Zulfikar, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
