EduAsiaNews, Surakarta — Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) has further expanded its international partnership network by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea. The signing ceremony took place on Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Meeting Room 4 of the dr. Prakosa Building at UNS.
The MoU marks an important milestone in strengthening collaboration between the two universities in the areas of education, research, scientific publications, as well as student and faculty exchange programs.
The event commenced with the welcoming of the Gyeongsang National University delegation, led by Professor Sang Yong Nam and fellow professors from the Department of Materials Engineering and Convergence Technology. The delegation was received by Professor Fitria Rahmawati, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Research at UNS, accompanied by representatives from the Directorate of Planning, Cooperation, Internationalization, and Reputation, the Subdirectorate of International Services, and several faculties across the university.
In his remarks, Professor Sang Yong Nam stated that GNU and UNS share many similarities as leading public universities in their respective regions. He noted that both institutions embrace a common vision of evolving from regionally rooted universities into globally competitive institutions through the Global and Local University (GloCo University) concept.
Professor Sang Yong Nam also highlighted that academic collaboration between the two universities has existed since 2019, beginning with cooperation between the Department of Chemistry at UNS and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at GNU. With the signing of this university-level MoU, the scope of collaboration is expected to expand to encompass science, engineering, agriculture, collaborative research, scientific publications, and student and faculty mobility.
Meanwhile, Professor Fitria Rahmawati emphasized that the partnership reflects UNS’s commitment to expanding strategic collaborations with internationally recognized higher education institutions.
“We hope this collaboration will not only strengthen our academic network but also generate concrete programs that provide meaningful benefits to the academic communities of both institutions,” she said.
The signing ceremony concluded with the exchange of the MoU documents as a symbol of both universities’ commitment to building a long-term partnership. This was followed by discussions on implementing collaborative initiatives, including academic program development, joint research, scientific publications, and student and faculty exchange programs.
Through this partnership, UNS aims to broaden impactful international collaboration in support of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. The collaboration with GNU is expected to serve as the foundation for various joint academic initiatives that will enhance educational quality, strengthen collaborative research, and expand global networking opportunities for the academic communities of both universities.
The MoU between UNS and GNU also supports the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening international collaboration in education, research, and community engagement. In addition, the partnership contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) through the development of academic programs, student and faculty exchanges, and the enhancement of teaching quality, as well as SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) by fostering collaborative research and scientific publications that drive innovation.
