In an effort to enhance the quality of education and research and the university’s reputation, Diponegoro University (UNDIP) is implementing various internationalization programs, including discussions on a Double Degree Program with Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand. In the QS World University Rankings 2024, Victoria University of Wellington is ranked in the top 1% of the 18,000 universities worldwide for 15 study programs.
During the working visit to Wellington, New Zealand, on May 22, 2024, the UNDIP delegation, led by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (Prof. Mohamad Nasir, Ph.D) and the Chairman of the Academic Senate (Prof. Edy Rianto, Ph.D), met directly with Roger Armstrong, Senior International Recruitment Manager; Eliza Raymond, Senior Internationalisation Programme Manager; Katrina Saunders, Senior International Administrator; and Allison Chen, International Partnership Manager at Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus, Victoria University of Wellington.
Roger Armstrong gave an overview of Victoria University of Wellington, which is one of the best universities in New Zealand. Roger also provided a profile of the students at VUW and highlighted various strengths of VUW. VUW also hosts the IISMA program, and several UNDIP students have participated in IISMA activities there.
During the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Academic Senate stated that UNDIP is currently focused on enhancing collaboration with TOP 100 QS WUR Universities to improve the quality of education and research at UNDIP. The proposed collaboration models include joint degrees and double degrees for several international undergraduate and master’s programs, as well as joint research between researchers from the Victoria University of Wellington and UNDIP. UNDIP also invited foreign lecturers from the Victoria University of Wellington to become visiting lecturers or visiting professors at UNDIP. Research related to Sustainable Development Goals, such as tackling the impacts of climate change and health, could form the basis of collaborative research themes between researchers from the Victoria University of Wellington and UNDIP.
In the warm discussions held with other members of the UNDIP delegation, including Prof. Ambariyanto, PhD (Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Cooperation), Dr. Agus Indarjo (Secretary of the Board of Trustees), Prof. Dr. Purwanto (Head of Planning and Development), Prof. Dr. Denny Nugroho Sugianto (Head of the WCU Task Force), and Dessy Ariyanti, Ph.D (WCU Task Force Team), representatives from Victoria University of Wellington agreed to exchange information to explore programs and activities that could be implemented in the near future to follow up on this meeting. On this occasion, an MoA was also signed for the double degree program for the Master of Climate Change Science and Policy, which had previously been initiated by the Master’s Program in Regional and Urban Planning.
