“The Airline of Indonesia, Reaching Out the Unreached or Menjangkau yang Tidak Terjangkau”. This is the slogan of Garuda Indonesia and Universitas Terbuka which started cooperation on Friday, 24 June 2022.
The dynamics of Indonesian education have grown quickly and rapidly day by day. Universitas Terbuka (UT) has always endeavored to provide its best services, products, and system for all the stakeholders throughout its process as Open and Distance University or ODU or PTTJJ. UT’s commitment does not have boundaries in improving quality assurance and service quality in operating distance education (PJJ).
UT strives to cooperate in various fields with many parties, both with those related directly and substantively with the academic affairs and with those that can support the implementation of distance education by UT. This time, UT starts up the collaboration with PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero), Tbk., as one step to expand good relationship with its partners that always support UT’s business processes.
The realization as the form of this cooperation is the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UT and PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero), Tbk., which was done in the Universitas Terbuka Convention Center (UTCC) Building, UT Headquarter, Pondok Cabe. The Memorandum of Understanding between UT and PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero), Tbk. was signed by the UT’s Rector, Prof.. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D., and President Director & CEO of PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero), Tbk., Ir. Irfan Setiaputra
Garuda Indonesia (Persero), Tbk. is one State-Owned Enterprise or Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) operating in the field of air transport. As one of the best airlines in Indonesia, UT’s step by establishing a partnership with Garuda Indonesia is deemed valuable as it will benefit for both parties, especially UT as it will promote effectiveness and efficiency for UT’s staff members while they are travelling. The scope of the Memorandum of Understanding consists of: cooperation in providing ticketing services for flights through Corporate Account; cooperation in cargo handling services, charter, ancillary and Garuda Indonesia Group; cooperation in Marketing; as well as other mutually beneficial partnerships.
The Rector of Universitas Terbuka in his remarks said that UT is the largest university in Indonesia in terms of the number of the students. Currently, UT is actively serving 350,000 students across Indonesia and overseas. In addition, the number of UT’s alumni is now up to more than 1,900,000, who are spread across the archipelago and abroad.
Universitas Terbuka has 39 regional offices called UPBJJ (Unit Program Belajar Jarak Jauh) and 1 Overseas Student Management Center (PPMLN-UT), which makes UT’s mobility so high, including business travels, both from the head office to the local offices and from the local offices to the headquarter. There were 400,000 official travels recorded by the UTs headquarter. Additionally, the partnership in cargo handling services helps UT significantly as open and distance university when it ships academic products throughout the archipelago and to international destinations. Therefore, the partnership of UT and Garuda is a strategic one that is beneficial for both parties.
The series of the programs continued with the address by the President Director & CEO of PT. Garuda Indonesia (Persero), Tbk., Ir. Irfan Setiaputra. He thanked UT for trusting Garuda Indonesia with the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding. With such cooperation, Garuda Indonesia also expressed its gratitude for the opportunity to participate in promoting education in Indonesia. This is because UT has been entrusted to realize the 5th principle of Pancasila, especially the realization of the social justice and equality in education, as well as Article 31 Paragraph 1 of the Constitution UUD 1945 on each citizen’s right to receive education.
UT always strives to reach out the unreached, and therefore, works together with well-established transportation companies, such as Garuda Indonesia which is deemed as a strategic step that UT needs to do. This strategic partnership is one support activity that helps UT’s operations in its effective, efficient, and quality business processes as an open and distance university.
