On November 7, 2025, Dr. Chandra Setyawan, S.T.P., M.Eng., IPM, ASEAN Eng., APEC Eng., a lecturer from the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP) UGM, held a strategic meeting with Prof. Jik-Chang Leong, Ph.D., Dean of the International College (IC) at the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), Taiwan. The meeting focused on strengthening and reorienting academic collaboration between IC NPUST and FTP UGM.
Since 2019–2024, the two institutions have been connected through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). However, the Covid-19 pandemic limited many planned activities, resulting in collaborations mostly being carried out through online guest lectures and joint participation in hybrid international conferences. Despite these obstacles, the strong institutional relationship remained intact and now serves as a solid basis for advancing to the next phase of partnership.
The 2025 meeting explored broader and more comprehensive opportunities for collaboration, including staff mobility, student exchange, a master’s level double degree program, and various academic initiatives to support institutional capacity building and internationalization. FTP UGM has already sent an undergraduate student to participate in an exchange program at NPUST funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), demonstrating expanding opportunities backed by strong external support.
During the discussion, the Dean of IC NPUST expressed strong commitment to expanding the collaboration, including plans to open a double degree program between FTP UGM and NPUST. NPUST also offered various forms of support such as free dormitory accommodation and tuition fee waivers for FTP UGM students participating in the program and enrolling in additional courses at NPUST. These efforts are expected to attract more students and strengthen the international visibility and reputation of FTP UGM and the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
With these emerging opportunities, the partnership between FTP UGM and IC NPUST is poised to grow more dynamic, strategic, and mutually beneficial—supporting students, faculty, and global networking in higher education.
