Head of University Proposes that Graduands Expand ITB's Connectivity in the Globalization Era
By UKM Student English Forum
Editor UKM Student English Forum
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - ITB's head of university, or President, Prof. Dr. Akhmaloka, launched internationalization statements on the ITB Open Session for the First Graduation Ceremony for the Academic Year 2011/2012. These statements consist of three items that will hopefully on forth become guidance for ITB to become one of the nodes in the geocultural topology of higher level education in the world.
The people of varying nations in the world live together on one Earth, but each nation had went through differing historic paths and cultural developments. A combination of two aspects, geographic and cultural, creating something referred to as geocultural topology. An easy example of this geocultural topology is, among several, the presence of Eastern and Western nations, as representations of different cultural developments occuring in differing hemispheres of the Earth.
In the records of history, interactions between geocultures have transpired since many centuries ago. The spread of religion, trade, and cultural exchange carried out through interactions between geocultures have enrichened civilizations and acceleration of knowledge, technology, and arts for nations involved in the said interactions. Nations with adventurous and explorative characteristics tend to be more active in geocultural interactions so they relatively become more influential compared to other more passive and introverted nations.
Due to that, Akhmaloka reminds the graduands that, when they act in the professional world, they would be involved in local interactions to advance their organizational capacities and company. "However, to expand the opportunity for progress, it is important that you establish interactions with other geocultures," he insisted. In establishing these interactions, what is needed is acting as a node that can enjoin other nodes. This node can take the form of an individual, group, organization, or even nation. A node in this interaction has to possess something to be traded, such as aspirations, experience, knowledge, and relatively unique capabilities. These relative differences are factors that can set going exchanges through connectivity, to realize aspiration and collective progress.
In a geocultural topology like this, participating in interactions between geocultures is no longer something to be afraid of. This interaction ensues in a very dynamic manner, and doesn't always refer to a static global reference. Becoming world-class, for example, is basically a proof of the ability to take advantage of opportunities through geocultural connectivity. In this context, a university receiving the predicate of World Class University (WCU) is a university capable of utilizing geocultural connectivity for their advancement, and in the meanwhile increasing their role in bringing progress to the nation. Efforts to reach the predicate of world class should not be reduced as merely a search for international acknowledgement, but has to stay focused on true academic progress and significant contributions in advancing the nation.
Thus, in increasing the quality of its geocultural connectivity, ITB has launched internationalizations statements consisting of three statements. First, all Faculties and Schools in the ITB environment must have at least one educational collaborative program with a foreign university, for example in the form of double-degree, joint-degree programs, or other forms. Second, all Faculties and Schools in the ITB environment must have at least one study program accredited internationally. Third, all Faculties and Schools in the ITB environment have to own one student and staff mobility program with international universities.
With the increasingly solid and expanded geocultural connectivity of ITB, the capacity and capability of ITB to reach academic excellence at global level and at the same time, contribute maximally in the process of developing the people and nation of Indonesia, also hoped to be better and more high-grade.
In the records of history, interactions between geocultures have transpired since many centuries ago. The spread of religion, trade, and cultural exchange carried out through interactions between geocultures have enrichened civilizations and acceleration of knowledge, technology, and arts for nations involved in the said interactions. Nations with adventurous and explorative characteristics tend to be more active in geocultural interactions so they relatively become more influential compared to other more passive and introverted nations.
Due to that, Akhmaloka reminds the graduands that, when they act in the professional world, they would be involved in local interactions to advance their organizational capacities and company. "However, to expand the opportunity for progress, it is important that you establish interactions with other geocultures," he insisted. In establishing these interactions, what is needed is acting as a node that can enjoin other nodes. This node can take the form of an individual, group, organization, or even nation. A node in this interaction has to possess something to be traded, such as aspirations, experience, knowledge, and relatively unique capabilities. These relative differences are factors that can set going exchanges through connectivity, to realize aspiration and collective progress.
In a geocultural topology like this, participating in interactions between geocultures is no longer something to be afraid of. This interaction ensues in a very dynamic manner, and doesn't always refer to a static global reference. Becoming world-class, for example, is basically a proof of the ability to take advantage of opportunities through geocultural connectivity. In this context, a university receiving the predicate of World Class University (WCU) is a university capable of utilizing geocultural connectivity for their advancement, and in the meanwhile increasing their role in bringing progress to the nation. Efforts to reach the predicate of world class should not be reduced as merely a search for international acknowledgement, but has to stay focused on true academic progress and significant contributions in advancing the nation.
Thus, in increasing the quality of its geocultural connectivity, ITB has launched internationalizations statements consisting of three statements. First, all Faculties and Schools in the ITB environment must have at least one educational collaborative program with a foreign university, for example in the form of double-degree, joint-degree programs, or other forms. Second, all Faculties and Schools in the ITB environment must have at least one study program accredited internationally. Third, all Faculties and Schools in the ITB environment have to own one student and staff mobility program with international universities.
With the increasingly solid and expanded geocultural connectivity of ITB, the capacity and capability of ITB to reach academic excellence at global level and at the same time, contribute maximally in the process of developing the people and nation of Indonesia, also hoped to be better and more high-grade.
