Depok, 31 October 2025 – In an effort to strengthen its international academic network and enhance the global competitiveness of its graduates, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) conducted an official visit to the University of Otago, New Zealand. The visit aimed to sign an Agreement of Implementation (AoI) for the establishment of a Joint Degree Program in Master of Public Health (MPH), marking a continuation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UI and the University of Otago (MoU No. 56/MOU/R/UI/2024). The AoI was signed by Assoc. Prof. Aniruddha Chatterjee, Associate Dean of International Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Otago, and Prof. Dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., Dean of FPH UI.
The FPH UI delegation was led by Prof. Dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., accompanied by Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., Vice Dean for Education, Research, and Student Affairs, and Prof. Indri Hapsari Susilowati, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., Ph.D., Manager for Partnerships, Alumni Relations, and Ventures. The visit took place from 23 to 24 October 2025.
The delegation was warmly welcomed by the University of Otago representatives, including Assoc. Prof. Aniruddha Chatterjee and Assoc. Prof. Htin Aung, Associate Dean for International Health Sciences; Prof. Robin Turner, Head of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine; Prof. Rachel McLean; Dr. Simon Horsburgh, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine; Dr. Nisa Widyastuti, Research Fellow at the Biostatistics Centre, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine; and Sarah Ewing, Regional Marketing Manager.
The Joint Degree Program is designed to provide FPH UI master’s students with the opportunity to pursue part of their studies at UI and part at the University of Otago, New Zealand. This collaboration aims to produce graduates with strong foundations in public health knowledge who are recognized both nationally and globally.
“The signing of this AoI, God willing, will be followed by broader collaborations in the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, including the opening of an international joint degree class. This is an important step in delivering high-quality, globally relevant public health education that makes a tangible impact. Such a synergistic partnership not only broadens the perspectives and networks of our academic community but also strengthens FPH UI’s institutional capacity and reputation as a leading reference center for public health in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Prof. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo.
The University of Otago also expressed great enthusiasm for the collaboration.
“FPH UI is an institution with a strong track record in research and education. This partnership will enrich the exchange of knowledge and experience between our two universities and strengthen our joint contribution to addressing global public health challenges,” stated Assoc. Prof. Aniruddha Chatterjee from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Otago.
Beyond the signing of the AoI, both institutions also discussed potential collaborations in the Master of Public Health, Master of Epidemiology, and Doctor of Epidemiology programs. The discussions included technical aspects of the joint degree mechanism and curriculum alignment. The FPH UI team also held a meeting with Indonesian students currently studying at the University of Otago.
This visit marks an important milestone in FPH UI’s internationalization strategy to expand its global academic partnerships and strengthen its role in global health dialogues. Through this agreement, the FPH UI–University of Otago Joint Degree Program in MPH is expected to begin phased implementation in the upcoming academic period. (sf)