Yogyakarta – The Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business (FEBI) UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta has established an international partnership with Wuxi Institute of Technology, China, through an official visit on Thursday, December 25, 2024. The welcoming event was held in the Meeting Room on the Second Floor and was attended by the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, Ph.D., Vice Rector I, Prof. Dr. Istiningsih, M.Pd., and the Dean of FEBI, Prof. Dr. Misnen Ardiansyah, SE, M.Si., Ak., CA., ACPA. Also present were the Vice Deans I, II, and III of FEBI, namely Dr. Sunaryati, S.E., M.Si., Dr. Mukhamad Yazid Affandi, M.Ag., and Dr. Ibi Satibi, S.H.I., M.Si., as well as the Head of the International Office of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Witriani, S.S., M.Hum.
The Wuxi Institute of Technology delegation was led by Mrs. Doris, Program Manager of the School of International Education, along with Mrs. Tracy. The event was also attended by the Heads and Secretaries of the Study Programs at FEBI, including the Sharia Economics Study Program (Dr. Miftahul Khoiri, M.M., and Anggari, M.E.I.), the Sharia Banking Study Program (Dr. Jeihan Azhar, M.Si., and Defi Insani Saibil, S.E.I., M.E.K.), the Sharia Financial Management Study Program (Dr. Darmawan, M.M., and Ratna Sofiana, S.E., M.Si.), the Sharia Accounting Study Program (Sofyan Hadinata, S.E., Akt., M.Sc., and Furqonul, S.E., M.E.I.), and the Master of Sharia Economics Study Program (Dr. Muhammad Ghofur Wibowo, S.E., M.Sc., and Dr. Siti Nurazizah, S.E., M.Si.).
This visit aimed to strengthen the collaboration between FEBI UIN Sunan Kalijaga and Wuxi Institute of Technology in the student exchange program that has been running for the past six months and to plan the implementation of a double degree program.
In her remarks, Vice Rector I of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Dr. Istiningsih, M.Pd., appreciated FEBI's efforts in opening opportunities for a double degree program with Wuxi Institute of Technology, China. "As part of the global academic community, UIN Sunan Kalijaga is committed to establishing collaborations with universities in various regions of the world. Such international collaboration has the potential to enhance UIN Sunan Kalijaga's reputation in the global academic arena and attract more students, lecturers, and researchers from various countries," said Prof. Istiningsih.
In line with this, the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, Ph.D., also welcomed this collaborative initiative and emphasized the significance of international collaboration in improving the quality of education. "Collaboration with Wuxi Institute of Technology will enrich the academic experience of our students and open up wider global opportunities. We hope that this will be the first step towards various other collaborations, including in research, community service, and international journal publications," said Prof. Noorhaidi in his remarks. The Rector also stressed the significance of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's academic community's readiness to face global challenges such as climate change, social injustice, and international conflicts.
On the same occasion, Mrs. Doris, Program Manager of the School of International Education at Wuxi Institute of Technology, expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome from UIN Sunan Kalijaga. "I am proud to be at one of the leading universities in Indonesia that has a strong commitment to integrating knowledge and culture. We believe that this collaboration can open up many opportunities for mutual learning, exchange of experiences, and addressing global challenges together," said Mrs. Doris.
The Dean of FEBI UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Dr. Misnen Ardiansyah, SE, M.Si., Ak., CA., ACPA, expressed optimism regarding this program, which is expected not only to provide academic benefits but also the development of character and international competence of students. "We hope that this collaboration will open up wider opportunities for FEBI students to be globally competitive and play a role in international institutions and companies. Through this collaboration, our students will also gain broader access to knowledge and experience in economics and technology from a country that is rapidly developing as a future global economy," said Prof. Misnen. The Dean also highly appreciated the hard work of the FEBI International Office team at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, from the initial communication, welcoming, curriculum matching, Mandarin classes, and Borobudur tourism visits, to the send-off at Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA).
Both parties expressed their commitment to strengthening educational relations between Indonesia and China and opening up more opportunities for students in an increasingly interconnected global world. The Student Exchange program, which has been running for the past six months, has received positive appreciation, and the implementation of the Double Degree Program is expected to begin next semester, after thorough preparation.
Following the ceremonial event, the forum continued with a curriculum matching session to support the implementation of the Double Degree Program. This activity aimed to prepare the appropriate curriculum and arrange student placements in the programs. On this occasion, Mrs. Tracy from Wuxi Institute of Technology also conducted a Mandarin language class for 60 FEBI International Undergraduate Program students in the Theatrical Room on the 5th Floor. With this collaboration, both parties hope to build a long-term collaboration that provides significant benefits for the development of education and cultural understanding at the international level.