On Friday, July 26, 2024, the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Universitas Terbuka (UT) and Universitas Mulawarman (UNMUL) took place at the Dean’s Room I, FISIP UNMUL building. This event marked a significant step in enhancing educational experiences and expanding access to the Tri Dharma of Higher Education and the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) initiative. The agreement involves four study programs from the Faculty of Law, Social, and Political Sciences (FHISIP) at UT: Public Administration, Business Administration, Communication Studies, and Government Studies, collaborating with four corresponding programs at FISIP UNMUL.
Dr. Meita Istianda, S.IP., M.Si., Dean of FHISIP UT, emphasized in her speech that the Tri Dharma of Higher Education consists of three core pillars: education, research, and community service. Meanwhile, MBKM is a program aimed at providing broader and more equitable access to higher education for the Indonesian public. This collaboration is expected to combine the strengths of both initiatives to achieve greater common goals.
In the field of education, FHISIP UT and FISIP UNMUL will share experiences and knowledge in curriculum development, online learning, and faculty exchanges. For research, the two faculties will jointly conduct studies on public policy, women’s leadership, public service, and other contemporary topics relevant to their respective programs. In terms of community service, all involved programs will collaborate on developing impactful community service initiatives for the surrounding communities.
Dr. Fitnnah Fourqoniah, M.Si., Dean of FISIP UNMUL, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that the partnership also aims to implement MBKM more effectively. MBKM is designed to offer students the freedom to take courses at other universities and participate in self-development activities outside the formal curriculum. This collaboration is expected to significantly benefit the development of both faculties.
The signing ceremony concluded with an exchange of souvenirs, a group photo session, and a friendly gathering involving Deans, Program Heads, Subdivision Heads, and faculty members from both institutions.
