Depok, August 1, 2025 — The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) welcomed a delegation from the Faculty of Health Sciences (FIK) of Dehasen University Bengkulu (Unived) for a Cooperation Agreement signing and a discussion session held at Building A, Health Sciences Cluster (RIK) UI, Depok Campus. This event was part of both institutions’ strategic efforts to build sustainable collaboration in strengthening the Three Pillars of Higher Education (Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi): education, research, and community service.
The event was attended by FPH UI leadership, including Prof. Dr. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc. (Dean of FPH UI), Prof. Indri Hapsari Susilowati, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., Ph.D. (Manager of Partnership, Alumni Relations, and Enterprise), Prof. Doni Hikmat Ramdhan, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., Ph.D. (Manager of Research and Community Engagement), and Nurdjanah Julistia (Coordinator of Research and Community Engagement Subunit). Representing Unived were Ns. Berlian Kando S., S.Kep., M.Kes., Ph.D. (Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences), Ns. Danur Azissah R.S., S.Kep., M.Kes. (Head of the Nursing and Professional Nurse Program), and Bdn. Diyah Tepi R., SST., M.Keb. (Representative for Cooperation Affairs).
In her remarks, Prof. Mondastri expressed pride in this collaborative initiative and highlighted the importance of strengthening inter-university networks, particularly in the health sector. “We are proud to witness the spirit of our colleagues in Bengkulu who are developing a health institution with their own strength. FPH UI has been established for over 60 years, but we understand that progress and innovation cannot be achieved alone. Partnerships with institutions like Dehasen University are highly valued as they support our shared advancement,” said Prof. Mondastri.
FPH UI currently offers 10 academic programs, five of which have received international accreditation. Additionally, it manages 10 research centers and 10 academic journals, one of which is internationally indexed while others are listed in SINTA categories 1–4. “We are open to various forms of collaboration, from human resource development and joint research to co-authorship and publications. Our postgraduate students are required to publish as part of their graduation requirements, opening significant opportunities for collaborative supervision, examination, and writing,” he added.
Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Unived, Ns. Berlian Kando, expressed appreciation for FPH UI’s openness to collaboration. He emphasized that this partnership is both an honor and a strategic opportunity for Dehasen University to strengthen its implementation of the three pillars and institutional capacity. “Although we are based in a region, Dehasen University Bengkulu has a strong drive for growth. This partnership with FPH UI is an honor for us and a strategic opportunity to enhance our academic mission and institutional strength,” said Ns. Berlian. Dehasen University Bengkulu is a private university founded on March 17, 2008. It originated from the merger of several higher education institutions established by the Dehasen Foundation and has grown into a university with seven faculties.
The Cooperation Agreement was officially signed by Prof. Dr. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., Dean of FPH UI, and Ns. Berlian Kando, SST., M.Kep., Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dehasen University Bengkulu. The signing marked a shared commitment to strengthening inter-institutional synergy. To maximize the impact of this strategic partnership, both FPH UI and Unived Bengkulu also discussed various forms of cooperation that could be implemented to support the enhancement of the Three Pillars of Higher Education.
The plans include organizing guest lectures or visiting professor programs, mentoring in managing and publishing health journals, improving institutional quality, facilitating further studies for lecturers, conducting institutional benchmarking, establishing and strengthening research ethics committees, as well as exploring faculty and student exchange opportunities. “We currently have collaborations with various universities abroad. We regularly send our students overseas and welcome international students to FPH UI. We hope that Dehasen University will also become part of this global network in the future,” said Prof. Mondastri.
Bdn. Diyah Tepi R., SST., M.Keb., representing the Cooperation Affairs of Dehasen University Bengkulu, also highlighted the potential for collaboration in scientific publications, especially in involving lecturers to support the development of joint journals. Responding to this, Prof. Doni Hikmat Ramdhan emphasized the importance of gradually improving journal quality and scientific publications. “FPH UI lecturers can serve as editors or reviewers for partner journals. We are also ready to collaborate in publication quality improvement programs, including mentoring for scientific writing,” he stated.
Prof. Doni added that FPH UI offers a research-oriented doctoral program with open access for partner lecturers, supported by a cooperation scheme that allows for promoter recommendations without going through a general selection process. Furthermore, the available online learning system, particularly for the doctoral research track, provides flexibility for lecturers from outside the region who wish to continue their studies at FPH UI. This shared commitment marks an initial step toward enhancing the quality of education, research, and community service with broader impact. The collaboration is expected to strengthen the contributions of both FPH UI and Unived in addressing public health challenges more effectively. (DFD)