Depok, 12 November 2025 — The Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia (FPH UI), continues to strengthen its international academic network in an effort to provide high-quality, globally competitive education. On Wednesday (12/11), FPH UI held an exploratory meeting with the University of Melbourne (UniMelb), represented by Prof. Anita Horvath, to discuss opportunities for establishing a dual degree Master of Public Health (MPH) program. The meeting took place in Room PA 305, Building A, 3rd Floor, Health Sciences Cluster, Universitas Indonesia.
During the discussion, UniMelb presented its experience in collaborating with various universities across the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia. Currently, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has accepted two students under the dual degree MPH scheme, while Universitas Airlangga (Unair) is in the alignment stage of the program. All collaborations fall under the Health Population and Management Study Program, which is part of the Master of Public Health program at UniMelb.
The Dean of FPH UI, Prof. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., reaffirmed the faculty’s commitment to expanding international partnerships, particularly in opening opportunities for dual degree programs with global institutions. “We continue to develop collaborations with universities around the world. Similar initiatives are currently being explored with the University of Otago, the University of Queensland, and UMPSA. FPH UI is very open to collaboration opportunities with the University of Melbourne,” she stated. Prof. Mondastri added that FPH UI manages several student exchange programs, such as the Public Health Study Tour in collaboration with ACICIS, which could be integrated into relevant partnership schemes.
Representing UniMelb, Prof. Anita Horvath expressed the university’s enthusiasm in exploring potential synergies with FPH UI. “The University of Melbourne views Indonesia as a strategic partner in advancing public health education. We offer 11 specializations and around 70 courses that can support upskilling needs as well as dual degree initiatives. We believe this collaboration will not only broaden learning access but also strengthen the academic capacity of both institutions,” she said. She added that UniMelb is open to various forms of collaboration, both online and offline, as well as interdisciplinary partnerships that do not necessarily require identical curricula.
Prof. Anita Horvath also highlighted that the University of Melbourne is ranked #1 in Australia and #16 globally in the field of Public Health. In addition to the MPH program, UniMelb offers other flagship programs such as clinical trials, while the nutrition discipline falls under the Faculty of Science—opening broader partnership opportunities aligned with the needs of FPH UI.
The Dean of FPH UI noted that this collaboration exploration will involve departments within FPH UI to further assess specific needs related to course alignment or program collaboration. Another potential area discussed was the possibility of aligning FPH UI’s Master of Hospital Administration Program with UniMelb’s Master of Clinical/Health Leadership, a joint program between the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Business.
This meeting marks an important initial step in expanding FPH UI’s international network and creating more learning opportunities for postgraduate students. The collaboration is expected to provide a global learning experience that is relevant, inclusive, and adaptive to contemporary public health challenges. (wrk)