Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW) Yogyakarta recently welcomed a study visit from Institut Widya Pratama (IWIMA) Pekalongan, held on January 30, 2025, in the Rev. Dr. Tasdik Seminar Room. The visit focused on building strategic networks to support scholarship programs, enhance promotional efforts, develop human resources, and foster collaboration in education, research, community engagement, and academic publishing. UKDW Rector, Dr.-Ing. Wiyatiningsih, S.T., M.T., expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to exchange insights, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and collaboration. She highlighted UKDW’s ongoing development of its second campus in Sedayu, beginning with the construction of a hospital to support the Faculty of Medicine, as part of the university’s broader efforts to expand student capacity. Additionally, she introduced UKDW’s newly designed tutorial rooms, aimed at enhancing hybrid learning experiences.
IWIMA Rector, Dr. Paminto Agung Christianto, M.Kom., conveyed his gratitude to UKDW for their warm reception and shared that his visit carried personal significance, as he is an alumnus of UKDW’s Faculty of Information Technology. Acknowledging UKDW’s impressive growth, he emphasized IWIMA’s eagerness to learn from UKDW’s success, hoping to gain valuable insights and inspiration for improving educational quality and human resource development at IWIMA. The discussions also provided an opportunity for representatives from both institutions to explore potential areas for collaboration.
During the meeting, UKDW’s Head of the Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM), Dr. Freddy Marihot Rotua Nainggolan, S.T., M.A., introduced the university’s two existing multidisciplinary research centers focused on Disability and Inclusive Design, as well as Disaster Management. These centers serve as hubs for interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together expertise from various fields to tackle contemporary challenges. Looking ahead, UKDW is planning to establish two additional research centers focused on Conflict and Peace Studies, as well as the Metaverse, further expanding its commitment to innovative and socially impactful research. Meanwhile, monodisciplinary research centers continue to be managed within each faculty to support specialized academic growth.
UKDW also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening research excellence through efforts to enhance its Science and Technology Index (SINTA) score, which serves as a key accreditation metric for securing research grants. In recent years, the university successfully achieved the prestigious Main Cluster designation in the national university ranking system, based on research performance data from 2021 to 2023. This achievement reflects UKDW’s dedication to academic excellence and underscores its role as a leading institution in fostering high-quality research and education. The study visit provided a valuable platform for UKDW and IWIMA to exchange knowledge, explore new ideas, and build a foundation for future collaboration, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing education and research. [humasukdw/trans.drr]