On November 22, 2023, the Multipurpose Building of Universitas Terbuka witnessed a profoundly meaningful meeting. Doctoral students (Ph.D.) from the Educational Technology program at Jakarta State University (UNJ) paid a visit to Universitas Terbuka for an academic discussion. This event aimed to deepen their understanding of the course “Leadership in Learning Organizations,” which plays a vital role in the realm of educational technology.

Rahmat Budiman, S.S., M.Hum., Ph.D., the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Business at Universitas Terbuka, warmly welcomed the participants. He emphasized the close relationship between UNJ and Universitas Terbuka, referring to UNJ as the “sibling” of UT. He highly appreciated the presence of UNJ’s Ph.D. students and expressed hope that the day’s productive discussions would nurture future experts in educational technology.

A similar sentiment was echoed by Prof. Dr. M. Japar, M. Si, the Vice Director II of UNJ’s Graduate School and the course instructor for “Leadership in Learning Organizations.” He regarded Universitas Terbuka as an ideal learning environment due to UT’s rapid growth, currently serving over 500,000 students.

This event was also graced by several distinguished figures, including Prof. Dr. Robinson Situmorang, M.Pd. (Coordinator of UNJ’s Ph.D. Program in Educational Technology), Prof. Dr. Ucu Rahayu, M.Sc. (Dean of the Faculty of Education), Ir. Kristanti Ambar Puspitasari, M.Ed., Ph.D. (Vice Director I of Academic and Student Affairs at the Graduate School), Prof. Dr. R. Benny Agus Pribadi, M.A. (Professor in the Educational Technology Program), along with other senior figures in the field of educational technology.

Subsequently, the atmosphere was filled with lively discussions and a rich exchange of knowledge between representatives from Universitas Terbuka and Jakarta State University. This meeting was not only about sharpening knowledge but also strengthening the inevitable collaboration within the higher education landscape.

The academic visit and discussion served as concrete evidence that inter-university collaboration is the key to nurturing future leaders in educational technology.