Caraga State University (CSU) continues to strengthen its international engagement through the signing of “Partnership Commitments” with two distinguished Indonesian higher education institutions, the Universitas Andalas (UNAND) and the Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), during the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) in Jakarta, Indonesia.
CSU’s Vice President for Research, Development, Innovation, and Extension (VPRDIE) and Chairperson of the CSU Sustainability Committee, Dr. Jeffrey T. Dellosa, and the Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Junrie B. Matias, formally signed the Partnership Commitment documents with representatives from both universities as the institutions work toward finalizing their respective Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) through their internal administrative and legal processes.
Established in 1956 as the first university in Sumatra, Indonesia, Universitas Andalas (UNAND) is a premier public university based in Padang, with a 500-hectare main campus and satellite campuses in Payakumbuh and Dharmasraya. The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and specialist education through 15 faculties and one graduate school, comprising 142 academic programs, many of which are delivered in English. In the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, UNAND was placed in the 401–600 global band (one band higher than CSU).
Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), originally established as IKIP Jakarta in 1964, became a comprehensive university in 1999, expanding beyond teacher education to offer a broad range of academic disciplines. Located in East Jakarta, UNJ operates across four campuses and consists of eight faculties offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs. In the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, UNJ was placed in the 601–800 global band (same band as CSU).
The “Partnership Commitments” signify the mutual intention of CSU, UNAND, and UNJ to establish long-term institutional collaborations while the formal MOAs are being completed. The proposed areas of cooperation include Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives, joint research and innovation, faculty and student mobility, academic exchange and capacity-building programs, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, community engagement and extension initiatives, and collaborative publications and international research projects.
These commitments represent an important milestone in CSU’s ongoing internationalization efforts and demonstrate a shared vision to promote academic excellence, innovation, and sustainable development through global collaboration. Once the MOAs are finalized, the partnerships are expected to facilitate concrete collaborative activities that will benefit faculty members, researchers, students, and stakeholders of the participating institutions.
CSU remains steadfast in expanding its global network of strategic partners, creating opportunities for impactful international collaborations, and contributing to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) through education, research, innovation, and community engagement.
Photos via OVPRDIE
