Jakarta, April 30, 2025 – In response to the constant changes in the education sector, particularly in fast-paced learning systems in today's digital era, Universitas Dian Nusantara (UNDIRA) has taken a strategic step by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

The signing ceremony was held at the Tanjung Duren Campus of Universitas Dian Nusantara, West Jakarta, attended by Prof. Puah Chin Hong, CEO of UNIMAS Business School; Prof. Dr. Mohammad Affendy Arip, Director of the Centre for Graduate Studies UNIMAS; Dr. Asri Said, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences UNIMAS; and Dr. Nur Tahirah Razali, Director of the Center for Academic Development and Management at UNIMAS.

On behalf of UNDIRA, attendees included Mr. Sagoro Dharmawan, Chairman of Dian Asra Foundation; Mr. Dwi Sapto Febriantaka, M.A., Vice Rector II; Dr. Ir. Muhammad Hasanuddin Thoyieb, MM, Vice Rector III; Mr. Imam Priyono, S.T., MM, Director of Public Relations and Cooperation; Dr. Caturida Meiwanto Doktoralina, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences; Mrs. Desi Ramayanti, S.Kom., MT., Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics; as well as structural officials of the university and study programs.

In his speech, Vice Rector II, Mr. Dwi Sapto Febriantaka, M.A., emphasized that international collaboration to enhance the quality of education is a key vision for higher education institutions.

"The collaboration between educators from Malaysia and UNDIRA is expected to facilitate joint research and community service projects, aligning with UNDIRA’s vision of becoming a globally oriented university by 2030. Moreover, with the planned establishment of the International Learning Centre, both students and faculty of UNDIRA will have the opportunity to study at UNIMAS at competitive costs with highly competent instructors. I hope this partnership will enable Indonesia’s education standards, particularly UNDIRA’s, to remain competitive in the increasingly globalized academic environment," said Mr. Dwi Sapto Febriantaka.

Prof. Puah Chin Hong, CEO of UNIMAS Business School, expressed optimism about the potential for university collaboration.

"The students from UNIMAS also have a chance to visit your university for a short-term program, and I believe this is highly possible. This collaboration will also allow for joint workshops and seminars between both universities at an international conference," said Prof. Puah Chin Hong.

The signing of the MoU and MoA between UNDIRA and UNIMAS marks the beginning of a collaboration that has been initiated with an International General Lecture titled From Internal Research to Reputable Journal Publication and Discussion on the Outcome Based Education (OBE) Curriculum System. This hybrid event featured speakers from UNIMAS, including Dr. Tahirah binti Razali, Director of the Center for Academic Development and Management; Prof. Dr. Muhammad Affendy bin Arip, Director of the Centre for Graduate Studies; as well as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zikri Muhammad from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Development.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Affendy bin Arip and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zikri Muhammad emphasized that the quality of academic writing is not solely dependent on good discussion but also requires thorough research, with the essence of a study holding more weight than its exposure. As such, academic writing should prioritize networking and background verification of reference sources over merely the final outcome. They also highlighted that writing does not have to be perfect but can be supported by tools such as general finder to identify suitable themes and reduce publication rejection rates while maintaining quality and originality.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tahirah binti Razali underscored the significance of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in academia, especially in light of AI developments that pose challenges to research credibility. OBE is deemed effective in enhancing students' learning achievements through structured teaching, learning, and assessment strategies that require collaboration, continuous evaluation, and execution that is accountable, innovative, and aligned with workforce demands.

Internal research holds substantial potential for development into publishable scientific works, provided that it meets standard academic methodology and ethical requirements. The journey toward publication in reputable journals necessitates consistency, collaboration, and well-thought-out strategies, ranging from systematic writing and appropriate journal selection to the review process.

Dr. Caturida Meiwanto Doktoralina, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences (FBIS) UNDIRA, emphasized that Indonesia's higher education accreditation mandates research collaboration and joint projects. This aligns with UNDIRA’s vision and mission to provide globally recognized education.

He further expressed optimism about potential future collaborations beyond Asia, stating, "Interestingly, at UNDIRA, our partnerships always involve an MoA. We are committed to supporting all collaborative initiatives, including research collaboration, student exchange, and faculty exchange."

"These collaborations will also greatly benefit students. Those engaged in academic activities will be familiar with UNDIRA’s core values: Visionary, Integrity, and Professionalism. UNDIRA’s vision of being research-oriented and globally connected should extend to its students, as demonstrated in today’s partnership with UNIMAS, where students actively participated in knowledge-sharing sessions," added Dr. Caturida Meiwanto Doktoralina.