Universitas Indonesia (UI) received a visit from the Kenyan Embassy on Wednesday, September 25, to discuss collaboration opportunities in education. The visit was led by the Kenyan Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Galma Mukhe Boru, accompanied by two other officials, Kauthar Mohamed and Mrs. Maurine Abungu. The meeting took place at the University Administration Center Building, UI Depok Campus, and discussed the possibility of collaboration between UI and several leading universities in Kenya.
The University Secretary of UI, dr. Agustin Kusumayati, M.Sc., Ph.D., welcomed this initiative and emphasized that UI already has good relations with several Kenyan students currently studying at UI. “The UI International Affairs Office reported that there are 12 Kenyan students who received scholarships from UI. Eight received UI Great scholarships, while four others took short course programs at the Faculty of Pharmacy (FF) and the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB),” explained dr. Agustin. She added that this collaboration would have a wider impact if supported by formal cooperation between universities.
Ambassador Galma appreciated UI’s warm welcome and hoped that this collaboration could accelerate the transformation of education in Kenya. “We still face challenges in secondary and higher education. Therefore, we want to connect UI with leading universities in Kenya, such as the University of Nairobi, Strathmore University, and Kenyatta University, to jointly improve the quality of education in both countries,” said Galma.
At this meeting, the Head of the UI International Affairs Office, drg. Baiduri Widanarko, M.KKK, Ph.D., explained two scholarship schemes that can be accessed by Kenyan students, namely UI Great for postgraduate students and UI Shine for students who participate in a one-semester exchange program. In addition, Kenyan students can also take advantage of the Developing Country Partnership (KNB) scholarship offered by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
However, drg. Baiduri emphasized the importance of strict selection for this program. Out of 1,000 applicants, only the best 20 students are accepted by UI. Therefore, the Kenyan Government needs to ensure that they send their best representatives.
In addition to the scholarship program, dr. Agustin also proposed a student and teacher exchange program between UI and universities in Kenya. “The Faculty of Pharmacy and FEB UI have collaborated with several Kenyan academics, including two lecturers from Strathmore University and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. This is a good first step to expand collaboration to a larger area,” said dr. Agustin.
Responding to the proposal, Ambassador Galma expressed his full support and considered this collaboration as a real manifestation of South-South Cooperation between developing countries. “This collaboration can be a trigger for changes in education policy in Kenya, especially in increasing connectivity with countries that have international programs,” he said.
This visit is expected to be the first step towards closer cooperation between universities in Kenya and UI, as well as contributing to improving the quality of education in both countries.
