Bandung, 3 September 2024 — Senior Expert Service (SES) Germany visited Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) to initiate a collaborative program in entrepreneurship. The hybrid meeting, held at the PPPG UPI Building, was attended by Senior Expert Sabine Altmann, MBA., and SES Germany Representative in Indonesia, Adam Pamma, Dipl. Ing., who joined remotely from Pekalongan via Google Meet. Dr. rer. nat. Nandi, Director of the Directorate of International Affairs (DIA), led the meeting, which also saw participation from representatives of the Directorate of International Affairs, the Entrepreneurship Study Program at UPI Tasikmalaya, and the Faculty of Economy and Business Education (FPEB). 

In her opening remarks, Sabine introduced the background of SES—Germany’s leading volunteering organization for senior professionals from diverse fields—and highlighted its mission to share knowledge and expertise, including in entrepreneurship. This was followed by an explanation from Azizah Fauziyah, M.Pd., Head of the Entrepreneurship Study Program in UPI Tasikmalaya Regional Campus, who outlined the program’s schedule. The collaboration will happen from September 3 to 13, 2024, and will feature discussions on the entrepreneurship curriculum at UPI Tasikmalaya and sharing sessions about other study programs. Additionally, to foster cultural exchange and practical application of the collaboration, the program will include visits to several businesses in Tasikmalaya. 

Prof. Dr. Vanessa Gaffar, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, further emphasized that the Entrepreneurship program has become a flagship initiative at UPI, with many study programs integrating it into their curricula. She proposed the possibility of a discussion session to exchange insights, in line with the mission of SES, Germany. Moreover, Prof. Vanessa mentioned a valuable collaboration opportunity leading up to the UPI Entrepreneurship Festival, which FPEB will organize in October.

Dr. Nia Nafisah, Head of the Program Development Division at DIA, inquired about aligning the partnership with UPI’s international programs. To enhance outbound mobility, Dr. Nia suggested the possibility of a mutual exchange program, where UPI could also send its entrepreneurship experts to Germany. While SES currently focuses on sending experts from Germany to other countries, this initiative could pave the way for future collaborations that promote greater two-way knowledge and expertise sharing. 

Following the meeting, Sabine and representatives from the Entrepreneurship Study Program embarked on a journey to Tasikmalaya, marking the beginning of a promising global collaboration between SES and UPI. Sabine says, “Through this partnership, we look forward to a fruitful exchange of knowledge that will benefit UPI lecturers, students, and senior experts from Germany, fostering mutual learning on both sides.” 

(written and documented by Chayra Endlessa)