UNDIP, Taipei (May 2, 2025) – As part of its internationalization efforts and pursuit of World-Class University (WCU) status, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DPWK), Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), conducted an academic visit to National Taipei University (NTPU) from April 27 to May 2, 2025. The visit was funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and aimed to foster academic and research collaboration between the two institutions.
Led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wiwandari Handayani, S.T., M.T., MPS and Landung Esariti, S.T., MPS, the UNDIP delegation engaged in a series of academic activities, including collaboration talks, guest lectures, and participation in an international conference. The program was supported under Taiwan’s “Strengthening Cooperation and Exchange Program with ASEAN and South Asian Countries.”
During the visit, the delegation met with representatives from NTPU’s International Office to explore potential collaborations such as student exchanges, summer courses, and internship opportunities for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students at UNDIP’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The delegation was received by senior academic leaders at NTPU.
On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the UNDIP team was specially invited to attend the Taiwan-Indonesia International Conference on Enhancing Urban Resilience: Natural Hazard Risk Analysis, Monitoring, and Spatial Planning Strategies. There, DPWK researchers presented findings related to urban resilience in the face of climate change.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wiwandari presented a research paper titled “Addressing Slow-Onset Climate Hazards: Insights from the Sinking Coasts of Pekalongan, Indonesia,” which examined long-term climate change impacts such as land subsidence and sea-level rise in coastal Pekalongan. Meanwhile, Landung Esariti shared her work on “Challenges to Integrate Community Resilience in Disaster Adaptation-Based Planning Strategies,” highlighting the grassroots-level challenges in community-based disaster resilience planning.
The UNDIP team also served as guest lecturers for both undergraduate and graduate students at NTPU, discussing governance challenges and best practices in spatial planning and cross-border resource management in Indonesia.
The research collaboration between DPWK UNDIP and NTPU has already borne fruit, including a jointly authored paper exploring the complexities of urbanization, land monetization practices, and the resulting increase in disaster risks—ultimately leading to the phenomenon of “stranded housing assets.”
The paper was awarded Best Paper at the Joint Meeting of the 29th International Geographical Conference of Taiwan and the 2025 Annual Conference of the Geography Society of China, hosted by the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and the Geography Society of China, and is currently under review for publication in a reputable international journal.
DPWK UNDIP’s active participation in this international academic forum reflects the university’s strong commitment to global collaboration, research excellence, and sustained progress toward its World-Class University vision. (Public Communication/FT-DPWK/ed. Nurul)