EXPLORATORY DISCUSSIONS ON COOPERATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITAS NEGERI JAKARTA AND SHINAWATRA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (SIU), THAILAND

“We are very happy to be here, and we would like to bring some good information and good news. We also hope to bring good cooperation. I think because according to the previous introduction, we’ve noticed that UNJ is more like a pedagogy base, which is perfectly fit with ours.”

— Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zhou Fei, President of Shinawatra International University, Thailand

During the meeting, Dr. Zhou Fei specifically expressed his hope that Indonesian students, including those from UNJ, would soon join SIU. He noted that, to date, no students from Indonesia have been enrolled as active students at SIU, although there are several Indonesian staff members who actively contribute to the university. Next, the UNJ delegation presented their program, Batavia Camp. Batavia Camp is a program that introduces Indonesian culture, specifically designed for international students who wish to experience Indonesia’s rich culture and history firsthand. In this program, SIU students will be taken to visit various historical museums in Jakarta, participate in coral reef and mangrove planting activities in the Thousand Islands, and live and engage in activities on the islands around Jakarta. This program is expected to serve as an effective gateway to introduce the beauty and depth of Indonesian culture to young people from various countries.  

Also present on this occasion was the Vice Dean III of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law (FISH) UNJ, Dr. E. Nugrahaeni P., who expressed her support for the exploratory cooperation between UNJ and Shinawatra International University. She emphasized that this international collaboration is in line with FISH UNJ’s commitment to expanding global academic networks, strengthening student and faculty mobility, and providing cross-cultural learning experiences that are relevant to the current challenges of higher education.

“For FISH UNJ, this cooperation is not only about academic exchange, but also about creating a more inclusive, collaborative, and impactful cross-border learning space. Through programs such as Batavia Camp, visiting lectures, student exchange, and joint research, we hope that students and faculty members can develop global perspectives, understand socio-cultural diversity, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education, SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals,” said Dr. E. Nugrahaeni P.

The presence of FISH UNJ in this meeting further affirmed the faculty’s role in supporting the university’s internationalization agenda through academic collaboration, research, community engagement, and sustainability-oriented programs. Through this approach, FISH UNJ serves not only as part of an educational institution, but also as a driver of social and academic collaboration that connects local values, global perspectives, and meaningful contributions to society.

In the context of academic exchange, Dr. Zhou Fei introduced the SMART Project, which is currently under development and is scheduled to be launched by the end of this year or early next year. This program is designed as an inter-institutional scholar exchange scheme that includes several flexible options, such as: visiting lectures (guest lecturers who come to teach for one to two weeks), co-teaching (teaching together in a single class), and one-year guest lecturer contracts. In addition, SIU also offers opportunities for UNJ students to participate in regular student exchange programs with guaranteed free accommodation, where students only need to cover the cost of tickets, transportation, and pocket money while in Thailand.