The Republic of Indonesia is a significant educational destination in Southeast Asia, housing numerous reputable universities offering diverse academic programs. Indonesian universities are distinguished by their modern academic environments, coupled with a focus on research development and international cooperation. They also provide English-taught programs for international students, facilitating access for students worldwide.
Hadhramout University has opened doors to exceptional cooperation in various fields with several Indonesian universities for years, through the signing and activation of numerous partnership agreements. Continuing this approach and as part of his East Asian tour, the President of Hadhramout University visited Indonesia to open wider horizons in all academic, research, and student affairs, positively impacting the university, its affiliates, and significantly influencing the university’s local, regional, and international rankings in the near and distant future.
The delegates of Hadhramout University, headed by Prof. Mohamed Saeed Khanbash, President of the University, arrived on Friday, November 1, 2024, upon an official invitation from Airlangga University. This was the second visit to the university. The delegation was received by Prof. Mohammed Nasih, President of the University, Prof. Mohammed Madin, Vice President for Resources, Prof. Ni Nyoman Tri, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Community Development, Prof. Bambang Sektiari, Vice President for Academic, Student, and Alumni Affairs, and a number of university officials. In the meeting that brought the two sides together, Prof. Mohamed Saeed Khanbash, President of Hadhramout University, expressed his deep pleasure at visiting Indonesia in general and Airlangga University in particular, emphasizing the deep relationship between the two sides, which witnessed the organization of an international symposium on honey Bee in 2023, in addition to holding a number of meetings between the two sides, one of which was attended by students to inform them about the scholarships available at Airlangga University, expressing his gratitude to the Indonesian side for the warm welcome. From his part, Prof. Mohammed Nasih expressed the great happiness of this visit, which confirms Hadhramout University’s keenness to continue working together in all academic, student, and research fields, promising a future visit to Hadhramout. The two sides reviewed their vision for the coming phase and the results of previous meetings held remotely with the attendance of some deans and deputies from faculties such as medicine, engineering, science, and marine biology, in addition to a meeting between Airlangga representatives and students to explain the available opportunities to study there. The two parties agreed to continue working together while determining the appropriate mechanisms for this. It is worth noting that Airlangga University ranks 308th globally according to the QS ranking for 2025.
Mercu Buana University was the second destination for the President of Hadhramout University and his accompanying delegation on Monday, November 4, 2024. The delegation was received by Prof. Andi Adriansyah, President of the University, his deputies, a number of deans, and specialists from the International Cooperation Office. Bilateral discussions were held there, where the President of Mercu Buana University welcomed the President of Hadhramout University and his companions, explaining his university’s interest in creating international partnerships that contribute to enhancing the position of both universities locally, regionally, and internationally. From his part, the President of Hadhramout University affirmed that the university looks forward to working together to achieve the greatest possible convergence between researchers, staff members, and students at both universities, so that everyone works according to well-studied mechanisms for the advancement of both universities, noting the participation of one of the staff members from Mercu in the first international symposium held by the university in 2022. The meeting culminated in the signing of a cooperation and partnership agreement between the two sides, followed by a detailed discussion on a number of topics on which viewpoints coincided, reinforcing the principle of partnership, increasing scientific outcome, and bringing together researchers from both universities, in addition to the possibility of distance learning. The delegation toured a number of laboratories and workshops at the university. It is worth noting that Mercu Buana University occupies a leading position among East Asian universities, ranking 140th according to the QS ranking.
Continuing his program, the President of the University and his accompanying delegation headed to Bandung, the capital of West Java Province in Indonesia, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. Specifically, they visited the State Islamic University of Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung (UIN Bandung). The delegation was welcomed by the university president, his deputies, a number of deans, and international relations specialists. A dialogue and discussion session was held before the meeting culminated in the signing of a partnership and cooperation agreement between the two universities.
Prof. Rosihon Anwar, President of Bandung University, welcomed the President of Hadhramout University and his companions. He called for joint efforts to activate the provisions of the agreement. From his part, the President of Hadhramout University praised the historical relations between the two countries since ancient times, pointing to the development of a comprehensive vision that benefits both universities and their staff and students to enhance the universities’ position in international rankings, through a number of relevant academic standards and accreditations, in addition to increasing the scientific outcome of researchers. The possibility of exchanging professors and students and holding international conferences and symposia within the Scopus database was also mentioned. In the meantime, the Indonesian university organized a symposium entitled “Arabic Language: Experiences from Indonesia and Yemen,” in which Prof. Abdullah Saleh Babair spoke about teaching Arabic and the available means between the present and the past, while Dr. Samir Salem Al-Bouri spoke about the university’s platform and its upcoming project in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. On the Indonesian side, Prof. Ezzeldin Mostafa and Dr. Ruhanda spoke about teaching Arabic in Indonesia and the great impact of understanding it as the language of the Holy Quran. The symposium was attended by a number of graduate students in the Faculty of Arabic Language at the university.
HU President concluded his visit to Indonesia on the following day, November 7, 2024, with a visit to IPB University, one of the best Indonesian universities and the first in terms of producing the largest number of innovations. He was received by the university’s vice presidents and a number of university officials. Meanwhile, Prof. Dini Noviana, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, welcomed the President of Hadhramout University and his companions, wishing to open up prospects for fruitful cooperation between the two sides, especially in common areas such as environmental sciences. In turn, HU President thanked the leadership of IPB University for the warm welcome and hospitality, noting the need to activate any agreed-upon provisions and translate them into reality, including working on joint research projects and preparing for joint international symposia in fields such as the environment, nutrition, and aquaculture, given the Indonesian university’s extensive experience in this field, referring to some successful experiences with similar universities in Indonesia and Malaysia. Discussions were held on the nature of joint work in the coming period in all academic, student, and research fields. The meeting culminated in the signing of a cooperation and partnership agreement between the two universities, as well as a similar agreement between the Nahd Development Foundation and the same university, under which the focus will be on sending students abroad, as well as training students and serving the community through joint development projects.
The President of the University was accompanied by Prof. Abdullah Saleh Babair; Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Samir Salem Al-Bouri; University Representative and Member of the International Cooperation Committee, Mr. Hussein Baslaib; General Director of the President’s Office, in addition to a delegation from the Nahd Development Foundation, including Mr. Adel bin Mahna; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation and Engineer Mohammed bin Thabit; Director of Partnerships and Financial Development Resources