As a State University with Legal Entity Status (PTNBH) striving to achieve the title of a World Class University (WCU), Universitas Terbuka (UT) continues to make improvements and elevate the standards of international-level Open and Distance Learning (ODL). UT is consistently and continuously working to enhance the quality of its educational services to become an excellent institution providing Open and Distance Higher Education (PTTJJ). 

One strategic step UT has taken is applying to be one of the three open universities accredited as part of the Pilot Run of the AAOU Accreditation System instrument. The AAOU Accreditation System is an accreditation system established by the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) for open universities that are members of the AAOU. 

The AAOU Accreditation Team consists of Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria (Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Open University and Former AAOU President), Dr. Li Kam Cheong (Dean of the School of Open Learning at Hong Kong Metropolitan University), Ms. Shaira Tanay (Accreditation Team Coordinator), and Prof. Drs. T. Basaruddin, M.Sc., Ph.D. (Former Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of Indonesia and Former Director of the Executive Board of the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education) as the Local Expert. 

In the opening remarks of the accreditation event, the Rector of UT, Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D., represented by UT’s Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Partnership, and Business, Rahmat Budiman, M.Hum., Ph.D., emphasized the importance for UT to continuously improve the quality of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) at an international standard for more than 668,000 students. He also expressed hope that the AAOU Accreditation System would drive UT to continue growing as a PTN-BH with a high-quality ODL system both locally and internationally. 

Dr. Melinda from AAOU, in her remarks, stressed the vital role of ODL in the digital era, particularly post-pandemic. She highlighted the importance of this accreditation as a model for other universities. She also expressed her appreciation for UT’s participation as one of the three universities accredited in the Pilot Run of the AAOU Accreditation System. Dr. Melinda also praised UT’s rapid development, especially in recent years. 

During the accreditation activities held from October 1 to October 3, 2024, at UT’s central campus and UT Bogor, the AAOU accreditation team, including leading education experts, assessed various aspects of UT’s educational services. Rahmat Budiman, Ph.D., emphasized that UT’s participation in this accreditation is part of its relentless effort to enhance the quality and relevance of its education on a global scale. 

In his presentation, Rahmat Budiman, Ph.D., provided an overview of UT as a university that offers high-quality, borderless higher education, focusing on UT’s vision and mission to serve 1 million students while contributing to national and global development. 

The hope from this Pilot Run is that AAOU can refine the accreditation instruments that can be applied to all distance universities in Asia and even worldwide. The expectation is that this accreditation model will strengthen UT’s position as a leading open and distance education institution, not only in Asia but also on the global stage. 

By participating in the AAOU accreditation, UT is not only aiming to improve its quality but also reaffirming its commitment to global excellence.