UNDIP, Semarang (June 13, 2025) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Indonesia, initiated a collaboration in education with Melody Publishing, Taiwan, during a meeting held Friday, June 13, 2025, at the Widya Puraya Building, UNDIP Semarang. The partnership was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNDIP, represented by the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, Collaboration, and Public Communication, Wijayanto, S.I.P., M.Si., Ph.D., and Melody Publishing, represented by its Founder, Mr. Tsung Ming Lee.
This agenda reflects UNDIP’s mission to implement education and research based on appropriate technology. The collaboration opens opportunities between Melody Publishing and UNDIP at both the university and faculty levels, covering education, academics, science and technology, research, and community service. Implementation may include knowledge transfer, exchange programs for faculty, research and development initiatives, internships, and co-teaching efforts.
Attendees included Wijayanto, S.I.P., M.Si., Ph.D., UNDIP’s Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, Collaboration, and Public Communication; Mr. Tsung Ming Lee, Founder of Melody Publishing; Mrs. Melody Lee, Vice President of Melody Publishing; Cindy Lee, General Manager of Melody Publishing; Dr. Teguh Yuwono, M.Pol.Admin., Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP); Prof. Dr. Alamsyah, S.S., M.Hum., Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (FIB); Prof. Yinghuei CHEN, Ph.D., representative of Asia University; Ms. Li-Hua Chen, President of Surabaya Taipei School; drh. Dian Wahyu Harjanti, Ph.D., Director of Innovation, Downstreaming and Cooperation; and Pulung Widhi Hari Hananto, S.H., M.H., LL.M., Deputy Director of Global Partnerships and Connectivity.
On behalf of the UNDIP Rector, Vice-Rector Wijayanto, Ph.D welcomed the collaboration with Melody Publishing. “UNDIP is open to cooperation. This is a good step in strengthening ties between Indonesia and Taiwan through academic institutions. We hope this collaboration leads to long-term mutual benefits,” he said.
Cindy Lee, General Manager of Melody Publishing, expressed pride in the partnership between the two institutions, each with distinct strengths. “A strong attitude and mindset are essential for success. As an English learning institution for children aged 3–5, we also collaborate with educational institutions to develop educational systems and teacher training programs,” she said.
The event continued with a discussion session moderated by Pulung Widhi Hari Hananto. He noted that UNDIP currently serves about 67,000 Indonesian and international students, a key focus of the collaboration, particularly in education and academics. In response, Prof. Yinghuei CHEN, Ph.D., highlighted shared values between UNDIP and Melody Publishing in research, data processing, and the development of teaching materials using advanced technologies for both online and offline formats.
Dr. Teguh Yuwono, Dean of FISIP UNDIP, proposed a teacher training initiative centered on English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), bringing together UNDIP lecturers and instructors from Melody Publishing. He emphasized that this would strengthen institutional ties with Taiwan, particularly as FISIP UNDIP has already formed strong collaborations with Asia University.
Prof. Dr. Alamsyah, Dean of FIB UNDIP, welcomed the collaboration in language, translation, promotion, and culture. He stated that the MoU aligns with FIB’s commitment to academic excellence and expressed hope that the partnership would inform plans for a Mandarin Language study program.
Moderator Pulung Widhi also shared UNDIP’s commitment to becoming a World-Class University (WCU), one of which is through its Global Engagement Day — a conference and exhibition involving various Indonesian universities. Melody Publishing is going to be invited to contribute as a center of excellence in digital educational products.
UNDIP continues to strengthen English proficiency among faculty and students through various English language classes. Supporting UNDIP’s WCU vision and in line with the signed MoU, Vice-Rector Wijayanto concluded, “Melody Publishing offers an outstanding and engaging English teaching method. We believe this collaboration will boost English skills for our teaching staff and enhance the delivery of English material to students.” (Public Communication/UNDIP/Titis)
