Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Graduate School (SPs UGM) is expanding cross-border collaboration with partners in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Timor-Leste through a series of initiatives that promote higher education, research, community engagement, and regional development. During a working visit from July 13 to 17, the delegation met with universities, local governments, alumni organizations, and senior officials from the Government of Timor-Leste to explore long-term academic partnerships.
The initiative reflects SPs UGM’s commitment to building a collaborative ecosystem that brings together universities, governments, and local communities to address shared challenges in border regions. Given their geographic proximity and interconnected development priorities, Indonesia and Timor-Leste require stronger collaboration to generate sustainable solutions through education, research, and community service.
Professor Widyanto Dwi Nugroho, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Cooperation at SPs UGM, said Timor-Leste has become one of the Graduate School’s strategic partners through its flagship Cross-Border Partnership initiative, which supports UGM’s Tridharma mission.
“The Cross-Border Partnership is one of SPs UGM’s flagship Tridharma initiatives, with Timor-Leste serving as a strategic partner because the two countries share a land border,” he said in a statement released on Wednesday (July 22).
Throughout the visit, SPs UGM explored multidisciplinary collaboration in border development, food security, public health, natural resource management, community empowerment, cultural preservation, and human resource development.
“We want our research to generate not only scientific publications but also practical solutions that address the challenges faced by border communities,” Professor Widyanto said.
Unlike conventional partnerships that focus primarily on signing memoranda of understanding, the Cross-Border Partnership integrates education, research, and community service into a single collaborative framework. The initiative brings together faculty members and students from different disciplines while connecting partners in Indonesia—particularly East Nusa Tenggara—with institutions in Timor-Leste.
SPs UGM, the Dili Institute of Technology (DIT), and Kagama Timor-Leste jointly organized a series of academic activities that reflected their collaborative approach. The institutions hosted a focus group discussion and a mini seminar, bringing together DIT leaders, students, academics, and participants from UGM’s Community Service Program (KKN-PPM).
The forum was officially opened by Timor-Leste’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes, who reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with UGM and encouraged students to embrace challenges as opportunities for personal growth.
“As young people, you must welcome challenges, because that is where character is built,” he said.
One of the forum’s key agendas was introducing opportunities for Timor-Leste students to participate in SPs UGM’s non-degree international student program. The program allows international students to study, conduct research, and participate in academic activities at UGM for a specified period without enrolling in a full degree program.
Professor Widyanto said the partnership also creates broader learning opportunities for UGM students. Through collaboration with the KKN-PPM UGM program in Belu Regency, students gain firsthand experience working with local communities, universities, and government institutions on both sides of the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border.
“Mapping local issues can inspire future research and community service programs in border regions with support from our partners,” he said.
Current research and community engagement initiatives under the Cross-Border Partnership include dryland agriculture, public health—particularly stunting prevention—medicinal plants, post-memory studies, and transboundary river basin management. The discussions also introduced government officials and members of Timor-Leste’s academic community to SPs UGM’s academic programs and opportunities for collaborative research and capacity building.
Professor Widyanto said the initiative represents more than promoting academic programs. It lays the foundation for long-term collaboration through academic mobility, joint research, innovation, and institutional partnerships that support the sustainable development of border communities.
The working visit also complemented UGM’s KKN-PPM activities in Belu Regency, which include cross-border exchange programs. Through these initiatives, SPs UGM aims to build partnerships that go beyond institutional agreements by generating tangible impact through collaborative research, capacity building, academic mobility, and innovation.
“We hope this collaboration will continue to grow and lead to even more meaningful and impactful initiatives,” Professor Widyanto concluded.
During the visit, the SPs UGM delegation met with representatives from Universitas Nusa Cendana (Undana), Kupang State Agricultural Polytechnic (Politani Kupang), the Belu Regency Government (BP4D), the Dili Institute of Technology (DIT), Kagama NTT, and Kagama Timor-Leste.
Reporter: Eis / Graduate School
Author: Zabrina Kumara
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-Editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: Graduate School Documentation