UNDIP, Semarang (4/3) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) welcomed a delegation from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, for an audience and institutional visit to initiate strategic cooperation in the academic sector. The event took place at the Widya Puraya Building, UNDIP Semarang, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 1:30 PM. The visit marked an important milestone in strengthening international networks and higher education collaboration between Indonesia and the United Kingdom. The meeting was led by the Vice Rector for Innovation, Research, Collaboration, and Public Communication, Wijayanto, S.IP., M.Si., Ph.D., who personally welcomed representatives from the University of Sheffield: Louise McCarthy, Director for Global Engagement, and Carmelita Crissy, Country Manager Indonesia.
In his remarks, Wijayanto introduced UNDIP’s tagline ‘Noble and Valuable.’ “Noble means dignity. As a higher education institution, UNDIP builds a global epistemic community that upholds knowledge. Valuable means that UNDIP serves as a bridge so that knowledge is not only written on paper but implemented into innovations that bring real benefits and impacts to society,” he explained.
Wijayanto, Ph.D. also stated that UNDIP is currently ranked 624th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, emphasizing that the university continues to strengthen international collaboration in its journey toward becoming a World-Class University (WCU). Through this meeting, he expressed hope that the discussion would serve as a starting point for academic collaboration between the two institutions.
The audience session was attended by Vice Deans from all faculties within UNDIP, reflecting a collective commitment to opening interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities and ensuring faculty readiness to develop sustainable academic partnerships. Also present were the Director of Reputation, Partnership, and Global Connectivity Prof. Dr. Ir. Hadiyanto, S.T., M.Sc., IPU., and the Deputy Director of Partnership and Global Connectivity Pulung Widhi Hari Hananto, S.H., M.H., LL.M., who served as the moderator.
Louise McCarthy, Director for Global Engagement at the University of Sheffield, stated that the visit was part of the university’s strategic efforts to build collaboration and strengthen global networks. “With diverse cultural backgrounds, we exchange ideas to initiate collaboration. In the future, there may be study abroad programs for UNDIP students at the University of Sheffield. We will jointly examine various academic elements such as law, biology, engineering, psychology, pure sciences, and others through comprehensive studies,” she explained.
During the meeting, both parties discussed various collaboration opportunities, including the development of joint and double-degree master’s programs, co-supervision schemes, faculty and student exchanges, and research collaborations integrated with postgraduate programs. The focus on master’s programs is considered strategic to strengthen academic capacity, enhance graduates’ global competitiveness, and encourage joint publications and innovations.
During the discussion session, the Vice Deans emphasized that each academic unit would actively identify specific collaboration opportunities aligned with its disciplinary strengths. The question-and-answer session also actively discussed student admission requirements and curriculum structures at both UNDIP and the University of Sheffield.
This meeting will serve as an initial step toward strengthening the academic capacity of both institutions, advancing knowledge, and improving the quality of human resources at the international level. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Titis)