Universitas Indonesia (UI) attended the annual NAFSA 2024 conference held in New Orleans, Lousiana, United States (US), on May 28-31, 2024. The NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo is a celebration of international education and global leadership, focusing on this year’s theme “Resilience. Renewal. Community.” Last year, at a similar event that took place in Washington DC, the UI booth with representatives from the Office of International Affairs and the UI Public Relations and KIP Bureau received a very positive reception.
“Visitors came non-stop with the aim of establishing cooperation with UI. They came not only from universities in the U.S., but also from Latin American, European, and even Asian countries, hoping to realize collaboration in education and scientific research with UI in the form of a memorandum of understanding,” said Amelita Lusia, Head of UI’s Public Relations and Public Information Disclosure Bureau.
NAFSA is a major exhibition that brings together educational institutions in a leading forum to promote academic cooperation. “UI’s presence at many educational expos and exhibitions such as NAFSA is directly proportional to the increase in cooperation with overseas partners,” said Baiduri Widanarko PhD, Head of UI’s International Affairs Office. Last month, on May 11-12, 2024, UI participated at the invitation of the Indonesian embassy in Doha, Qatar, to take part as an exhibitor at The First Education Expo in Qatar 2024, the first Indonesian education expo in the country.
10 universities from Indonesia were invited to be exhibitors at The First Education Expo in Qatar 2024. In addition to UI, 9 other universities from Indonesia attended, namely Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Padjajaran University (UNPAD), North Sumatra University (USU), Airlangga University (UNAIR), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), IPB University, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Diponegoro University (UNDIP), and Binus. The two-day exhibition was opened by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Qatar, Ridwan Hasan.
The event aims to encourage educational collaboration and cultural exchange between Qatar and Indonesia, showcase the diverse academic programs and offerings available at Indonesia’s leading universities and educational institutions, interact with their representatives, and learn about undergraduate and postgraduate programs, scholarships, and student exchange opportunities. At the opening ceremony of the event, Ridwan Hasan said that Indonesia is among the countries that already have a name as a destination for higher education, similar to countries in Europe, Canada, China, and Japan.
“The Indonesia 2024 Education Exhibition in Qatar is an important milestone in encouraging educational collaboration and cultural exchange between Indonesia and Qatar. We are excited to provide a platform for students and professionals to explore the diverse opportunities available in Indonesia’s dynamic education landscape,” Ridwan said.
The expo and education exhibition received support from alumni of universities living in Doha and its surroundings, such as from the UI Alumni Association (ILUNI). “So far, we in Doha have only attended exhibitions organized by universities from neighboring countries. We were very happy when finally our universities offered programs for our children to continue their studies in Indonesia,” said Asri Setiarini, one of the administrators of ILUNI Qatar.
The Indonesian Embassy assures that efforts to promote the Indonesian education system and its entities will be maintained and continued. “Our highest appreciation goes to the alumni of the university, who in this case played an important role in facilitating the university delegates who came,” said Ali Murtado, from the Indonesian Embassy in Qatar.
At NAFSA 2024 international educators from all corners of the globe will gather to discover the latest innovations, new strategies and best practices. More than 250 programs will be presented, including conference sessions, the NAFSA International Education Exhibition, the NAFSA Flagship Program, the NAFSA Plenary, the presence of education leaders as resource persons, poster exhibitions, opportunities to meet with peers, and networking opportunities. Exhibitors will find the partnerships, resources, and solutions that education institutions or organizations need.
