EduAsiaNews, Chengdu — Amid the accelerating wave of higher education internationalization, Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta (UPY) has marked its presence on the global stage. The university took part in the 2025 ASEAN–China Forum for Private Higher Education Development and Cooperation, held in conjunction with the ACAPHEI Annual Meeting at Geely University, Chengdu, China.
The two-day forum brought together delegates from private higher education institutions across ASEAN and China. Among them, UPY carried a simple yet strategic message: building networks, sharing knowledge, and opening opportunities for cross-border collaboration.
UPY was represented by Guruh Ghifar Zalzalah, a lecturer in the Management Study Program, along with Rizky Febrian, a student from the same program. The joint participation of a lecturer and a student in an international forum signaled a new direction—internationalization that goes beyond the institutional level and reaches directly into the students’ learning experience.
One of the forum’s key agendas was the presentation of findings from a collaborative research project involving UPY, YARSI University (Indonesia), and Sanya University (China). This cross-national research underscored that academic collaboration no longer recognizes geographical boundaries. Local issues, when framed through a global perspective, can evolve into knowledge with international relevance.
In another session, UPY students also took the stage. Together with students from private universities across ASEAN and China, they presented ideas and engaged in discussions on Student Mobility and Global Class—two concepts that have become key terms in the global roadmap for higher education.
For Guruh Ghifar Zalzalah, participation in the forum was far more than a ceremonial visit. “This forum serves as an important platform for UPY to build global networks, both in research and in the development of international learning programs,” he said. According to him, the involvement of both lecturers and students reflects the university’s commitment to promoting sustainable internationalization in higher education.
The experience gained by students at such forums, Guruh added, goes beyond academics. Presenting before an international audience and engaging in cross-cultural interactions helps build confidence and broaden perspectives. “They learn to exchange ideas while also learning to understand differences,” he noted.
Through the ASEAN–China Forum 2025, UPY reaffirmed its position as part of the global conversation on higher education. Chengdu is not the final destination, but a gateway. From here, further collaboration is expected to grow—supporting the strengthening of the university’s tridharma and enhancing the global competitiveness of UPY graduates. (*)
