South Tangerang, July 11, 2025 – Universitas Terbuka (UT) once again demonstrated its strategic role as a pioneer in open and distance higher education in Indonesia through global collaboration. On Friday, July 11, 2025, UT welcomed a visit from edX, an international online learning platform, at the Rasamala Room, Wisma 2, UT Central Office. This visit, facilitated by the Indonesia Cyber Education Institute (ICE-I), marked an important moment for expanding international cooperation in digital learning development.
The event commenced with a warm greeting from UT’s Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Rahmat Budiman, M.Hum., Ph.D., who expressed appreciation for the edX team’s visit. In his remarks, Prof. Rahmat affirmed that Universitas Terbuka, as a state university committed to the distance learning (PJJ) system, has a strong vision to continuously innovate and expand access to quality higher education for all segments of society—from big cities to remote areas, from within the country to abroad. This visit, he stated, is a starting point for building transnational collaboration that can drive the improvement of online education quality in Indonesia.
Ley Ley Loh, an edX representative, expressed enthusiasm for exploring collaboration with UT, which she noted has a strong track record in technology-based learning. She described UT as a unique institution, capable of reaching diverse student segments with a flexible and impactful approach. “We see UT as a strategic partner in driving the transformation of online education in Asia and globally,” she said.
The main session continued with a presentation by Dasha Karzunina, who discussed edX’s approach to developing cutting-edge technology-based learning experiences. She highlighted the importance of integrating artificial intelligence (AI), experiential learning, and personalized assessment systems to create effective and sustainable learning.
An open discussion involving UT leaders, ICE-I, and edX explored various potential collaborations, such as developing joint online programs, utilizing AI for learning analytics, and enhancing lecturer capacity through digital learning design training. UT also showcased various strategic initiatives like Tuton (Online Tutorial), UT MOOCs, and digital academic service systems as indicators of the institution’s readiness to meet global demands.
With over four decades of experience, UT has proven its ability to deliver impactful digital learning. Through its technology-based distance education approach, UT successfully reaches students from diverse backgrounds—including those in 3T (frontier, outermost, disadvantaged) regions, full-time workers, and Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) and diaspora—providing flexible, relevant, and equitable higher education. The utilization of digital platforms like Tuton and data-driven services positions UT as a pioneer in transforming how Indonesians learn.
This visit marks the initial step in a broader partnership and is expected to strengthen UT’s contribution to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)—realizing a future of higher education that is open, affordable, and transformative.
