UNIPMA — Through the Bureau of Cooperation and Public Relations (BKH), Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA), together with Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBEMSCAT), Philippines, initiated discussions on academic collaboration through an exploratory meeting held on Wednesday (2/9).

The meeting discussed several potential areas of collaboration that could be developed by the two higher education institutions, including academic collaboration and the involvement of UNIPMA academics as Editorial Members of the DEBEMSCAT Journal.

Head of the UNIPMA Bureau of Cooperation and Public Relations (BKH), Dr. Sri Lestari, M.Pd., attended the meeting together with Nikki Faith, the PIC of the International Office, and Dr. Bernard M. Barruga, Dean of the Graduate School at DEBEMSCAT.

Dr. Sri Lestari, M.Pd., reported that the meeting was part of the initial discussions to identify potential areas of collaboration that could be developed by the two institutions.

“This meeting discussed potential areas of collaboration, including opportunities for academic collaboration and the involvement of UNIPMA academics as Editorial Members of the DEBEMSCAT Journal,” she said.

One of the areas discussed was strengthening academic networks and scientific publications. The involvement of academics in journal management was one of the potential areas of collaboration discussed during the meeting.

The discussion on collaboration was also related to strengthening the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, encompassing education, research, and community service. The two institutions can develop more concrete forms of collaboration based on the areas agreed upon at the next stage.

The joint initiative between UNIPMA and DEBEMSCAT opens opportunities to strengthen cross-border higher education networks, particularly in the fields of academics and scientific publications. This effort is in line with SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.

Previously, UNIPMA had also established collaborations and built networks with a number of higher education institutions in various countries. The network includes higher education institutions in Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, India, and several other countries.

These international collaborations are part of UNIPMA’s efforts to create opportunities for the development of cross-border academic activities. The forms of collaboration may include education, research, scientific publications, academic exchanges, and other activities according to agreements between the institutions.