(Surabaya, 04/06/2025) — Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya (UINSA) has taken a significant step in advancing its internationalization agenda through the formalization of a strategic partnership with St. John’s University, Taiwan. The agreement, marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), was officiated by UINSA Rector, Prof. Akh. Muzakki, M.Ag., Grad. Dip. SEA., M.Phil., Ph.D., together with Ms. Susanna Chiu, Project Manager and Head of the International Affairs Office of St. John’s University. The ceremony was further attended by Dr. Hsu Shu Ming, Chief Strategy Officer of L&K Engineering Co., and Mr. Andre So, Director of the International Talent Circulation Base (INTACT Base), Taiwan, marking a pivotal milestone in UINSA’s cross-border academic collaboration and its growing presence in the global higher education landscape.
The MoU establishes a comprehensive framework for long-term collaboration, encompassing student mobility, joint research, cross-academic and cross-culture engagement. Complementing this, the MoA outlines a specific faculty-to-faculty cooperation between UINSA’s Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Engineering at St. John’s University, with an emphasis on the development of a double degree program in Civil Engineering.
This partnership extends beyond the Faculty of Science and Technology, with the potential to evolve and encompass all faculties within UINSA. As new academic and professional opportunities emerge, the scope of collaboration will be adapted accordingly to ensure the initiative remains inclusive, dynamic, and aligned with global developments.
This academic alignment also contributes to the broader objectives of Taiwan’s International Industrial Talents Education (INTENSE) initiative, which is an interministerial program supported by the Ministry of Education and the National Development Council. INTENSE focuses on fostering international talent in strategic fields such as STEM and finance while encouraging industrial-academic synergies through customized curricula, internships, and talent circulation.
The partnership was initiated through the longstanding academic engagement facilitated by M. Fathoni Hakim, M.Si., Head of the Quality Assurance Unit at UINSA’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), in collaboration with the International Talent Circulation Base (INTACT Base), Taiwan–Indonesia. This initiative highlights the value of sustained people-to-people and institutional ties in shaping equitable and forward-looking global partnerships.
By establishing this cross-border collaboration, UINSA reaffirms its strategic commitment to international academic standards, interdisciplinary growth, and global visibility. It demonstrates the institution’s holistic vision to integrate Islamic values with scientific innovation, fostering a robust ecosystem of knowledge exchange that aligns with regional and global development goals.
Written by Nadia Devina Fathimatuz Zahra.
