On Friday, May 3, 2024, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) received a virtual visitation from Sultan Kudarat State University, Philippines to sign the MoU document signaling the partnership between the Universities. The virtual MoU signing was carried out through a hybrid mode at UPI. The offline meeting was attended by UPI Rector Prof. Dr. H. M. Solehuddin, M.Pd., M.A., Vice Rector for Research, Business, and Partnership, Prof. Dr. Bunyamin Mafuh, M.Pd., M.A., Director of the Directorate of International Affairs, Prof. Ahmad Bukhori Muslim, Ph.D., the Head Division for International Program Development, Dr. Nia Nafisah, M.Pd., and the Vice-dean for Academic and Student Affairs, School of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Eng. Agus Setiawan, M.Si. Distinguished UPI and SKSU representatives also joined the agenda through GMeet. Dr. Jesusa D. Ortuoste, Officer-in-charge of the Office of the President Sultan Kudarat State University, Dr. Ernie Cerado, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Mary Lynn Magbanua, Vice President for Research Development and Extension, Dr. Reynaldo H. Dalayap, Vice President for Finance, Administration and Resource Generation, Dr. Marites Java Director for Instruction, and Dr. Christine P. Abo Dean of the College of Education.
The purpose of this visit is to conduct an MoU for cooperation that will be carried out between the Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia and Sultan Kudarat State University. The series of events began with the playing of songs from each country. Followed by welcoming remarks from UPI and SKSU. The first speech was delivered by Dr. Ernie Cerado, vice chancellor for academic affairs, who stated, “It is an honor to be here today to mark an important milestone in the educational journey of partnership and collaboration between our institutions. The signing of this MoU signifies the commitment of Sultan Kudarat University and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia to embark on a transformative journey in multiple learning, knowledge change, and collaborative research. Through this academic collaboration, we add a platform for students, faculty members, and researchers to engage in informative cross-cultural explorations.”
The second speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. M. Solehuddin, M.Pd., MA. As the rector of UPI said, “I hope that this opening ceremony will be the first step for us to initiate and develop collaboration activities between both universities in all areas, including the academic area. For this reason, I propose having a PiC or a small team to discuss and arrange the development and collaboration between both universities. Hopefully, someday we can have an offline visitation where we can visit both universities in person.”
After the welcoming ceremony, the next agenda was the signing of the MoU from UPI and SKSU, then ended with a group photo activity. SKSU and UPI plan to hold an extension of the MoU in the form of a seminar at UPI within 2024, aiming for academic exploration from SKSU distinguished scholars for UPI students and faculty members.
