On Monday, July 29, 2024, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) at the Universitas Indonesia (UI) welcomed a visit from a delegation of the Faculty of Public Health and Medicine of Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ), Timor Leste. The meeting aimed to discuss potential collaborations between FPH UI and UNPAZ in the fields of Master’s and Doctoral education in Public Health, specifically in Nutrition.
FPH UI warmly welcomed the collaboration with UNPAZ. In her remarks, the Dean of FPH UI, Prof. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., stated that the collaboration with UNPAZ, Timor Leste, is crucial for expanding and strengthening the educational and research cooperation between FPH UI and UNPAZ. “This is also in line with FPH UI’s efforts to enhance its academic reputation internationally, particularly in Asia,” said Prof. Mondastri. The Dean of FPH UI also emphasized that student exchanges, research programs, and joint publications with international universities, as well as collaboration with industry, will continue to be strengthened by FPH UI and UNPAZ in the coming years.
The Dean of the Faculty of Public Health and Medicine at UNPAZ, Cipriano do Rosario Pacheco, expressed his pride in meeting with the Dean and faculty members of FPH UI. “I once aspired to study at FPH UI, but fate has brought me here to be involved in the collaboration between UNPAZ and FPH UI. I hope this fruitful cooperation, especially in the field of nutrition, will continue,” said Mr. Pacheco. Universidade da Paz (UNPAZ) is a university founded by a group of East Timorese scholars in 2004. It is one of the accredited institutions and one of the largest universities in East Timor. In 2015, the university had around 8,000 students under the guidance of approximately 250 faculty members. “Currently, the total number of students in all departments of the Faculty of Public Health and Medicine at UNPAZ is 4,300, with the largest number coming from the Department of Nutrition. Recently, a Nursing Department has also been established, so there are now seven departments in this faculty. Public health covers a broad scope, not only related to doctors and nurses but also including the areas of promotion and prevention, which are part of public health. Therefore, it is crucial for us to maximize our educational collaboration in the field of nutrition with FPH UI, which has been established long before us,” explained Mr. Pacheco.
Tomas Elvis Fatima, a faculty member at the Faculty of Public Health and Medicine at UNPAZ, also highlighted the high prevalence of stunting and the limited number of nutrition experts in East Timor. “Currently, nutrition management in public health centers (puskesmas) is not carried out by nutrition specialists but by public health workers. To address this issue, UNPAZ plans to invite faculty members from FPH UI to provide training. This collaboration aims to combat stunting and nutrition issues in East Timor,” said Mr. Fatima. Moving forward, both institutions plan to develop effective intervention approaches to reduce malnutrition rates in the region.
Following this meeting, an MoU will be signed, and a student exchange program will be implemented. Furthermore, collaboration can also take place through guest lectures, seminars, and symposiums, which will involve international faculty members.
The MoU between the two universities is currently being processed by FPH UI and UNPAZ, and it is expected to be signed in October. During the next visit, an Agreement of Implementation (AoI) will be signed by each faculty. The goal of this agreement is to facilitate and enable student exchanges between both parties and other agreed-upon collaborations. Additionally, this agreement aims to promote and facilitate cooperation in the fields of public health and scientific research between the two institutions. The agreement will also facilitate UNPAZ students to continue their studies at FPH UI in the Master’s and Doctoral programs in Public Health through research pathways offered by FPH UI.
In addition to the two guests from the Faculty of Public Health and Medicine at UNPAZ, representatives from FPH UI included Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., Vice Dean for Education, Research, and Student Affairs; Prof. Indri Hapsari Susilowati, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., Manager of Cooperation, Alumni Relations, and Ventures; Dr. Ir. Trini Sudiarti, M.Si.; Ir. Siti Arifah Pujonarti, M.P.H.; Nurul Dina Rahmawati, S.Gz., M.Sc., from the Department of Nutrition; and Mahannie Tamimah Sihombing, S.K.K.K., from the Subunit of Cooperation, Alumni Relations, and Ventures. (DFD)