EduAsiaNews, Depok — Universitas Indonesia (UI) continues to expand its global partnership network. Most recently, UI received an official visit from SOAS University of London, United Kingdom, on Thursday (April 30). The meeting, held at the Rectorate Building of UI’s Depok Campus, marked a strategic moment to establish a partnership between the two institutions while reaffirming UI’s commitment to enhancing its global reputation as a world-class university with tangible impact.
The SOAS delegation was welcomed by UI Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Ir. Mahmud Sudibandriyo, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Student Affairs, and Alumni, Prof. Dr. Hamdi Muluk, M.Si. In his remarks, Prof. Mahmud stated, “We hope to establish in-depth collaboration with SOAS across various academic fields, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, including economics, which have long been core strengths of SOAS. This collaboration is expected to accelerate UI’s internationalization efforts, deliver meaningful impact to the academic communities of both institutions and society at large, and strengthen academic ties between Indonesia and the United Kingdom.”
Echoing this sentiment, Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor of SOAS, who led the delegation in person, remarked, “By strengthening our partnership with UI, SOAS aims to serve as a bridge for academic collaboration between the United Kingdom and Indonesia, and more broadly with nations across Asia and Africa.”
During the discussion session, Prof. Habib, who has served as Vice-Chancellor of SOAS since 2021, outlined several prospective areas of cooperation with UI. A key initiative is SOAS’s aspiration to engage UI and other leading universities from the Global South in establishing a Global School of Public Policy.
Rather than forming a new standalone institution, this Global School of Public Policy is envisioned as an alliance of universities collaborating with SOAS to advance academic exchange and share perspectives on the development of public policy and administration, as well as practical experiences from policy implementation in their respective countries.
Beyond public policy, both parties also discussed strengthening academic and research collaboration in economics, particularly in Development Studies. In this regard, UI views collaboration with SOAS as highly strategic, given SOAS’s global standing as one of the leading institutions in this field, evidenced by its second-place ranking in the QS 2026 rankings for development studies.
Through this partnership, UI aims to expand academic mobility for students and faculty, develop joint research addressing development challenges in Indonesia and the broader Asian region, and enrich its curriculum with global perspectives. Collaboration with SOAS is also expected to provide UI academics with greater access to international research networks, thereby enhancing UI’s academic reputation while contributing meaningfully to society and sustainable development.
As a follow-up, both institutions plan to engage in extensive communication to discuss the technical implementation of collaboration schemes, with joint degree and double degree programs proposed as key initiatives to realize the partnership.
In addition to the SOAS delegation, the meeting was also attended by representatives from the Indonesian Scholarship and Research Support Foundation (ISRSF), a philanthropic non-profit organization established in 2012 with a mission to support the development of world-class Indonesian academics through scholarships, research support, and international academic networks. ISRSF’s presence was strategically significant, serving as a facilitator of academic mobility by connecting UI students and researchers with study and research opportunities at SOAS, while strengthening the collaborative ecosystem between the two institutions.
The meeting was also attended by Fadhilah Muslim, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., DIC (Director of Education Internationalization) and team; Prof. Debora Eflina Purba, S.S., M.Si., Ph.D. (Director of Research Funding and Ecosystem); Chaikal Nuryakin, Ph.D. (Director of LPEM FEB UI) and team; and Arief Wibisono Lubis, Ph.D. (Head of Internationalization and Transformation, FEB UI). The SOAS delegation included Adam Hanieh, Shona Aitken (Director of Advancement), Irfan R. Hutagalung, Jonathan Pincus, and Ana Saleh (Director for Program & Communication, ISRSF).
For reference, SOAS University of London, established in 1916 and located in Bloomsbury, London, is recognized as one of the world’s leading institutions in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It is ranked 511 in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with notable global rankings of 2nd in Development Studies, 10th in Anthropology, and 15th in Politics.
This visit further reinforces UI’s position as a leading university that is not only prominent nationally but also recognized internationally. Through collaboration with SOAS University of London, UI is committed to fostering innovative research, expanding cross-border academic mobility, and delivering meaningful contributions to sustainable development. This partnership is expected to become an important milestone in strengthening UI’s role as a global knowledge hub connecting Indonesia with the world.
