Academic visiting program for UPI lecturers at James Cook University

Dr. Fitri Rahmafitria, a lecturer from the Resort and Leisure Management Program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), embarked on a one-month academic visit to the College of Business, Law and Governance (CBLG) at James Cook University (JCU), Australia. This visit, a pivotal part of UPI's journey towards achieving World Class University (WCU) status, was mandated by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia. It was a significant step in UPI's mission to secure a position in the top 1000 QS World University Rankings by 2025.

The visiting academic program provided a valuable opportunity for UPI lecturers to enhance the quality of education and research, particularly in publications. Under the paper titled "Enhancing Preparedness and Safety in Forest Recreation: Effective Visitor Management for Accident Prevention and Life-Saving Measures," Dr Fitri Rahmafitria collaborated with Associate Professor Denis Tolkach from JCU in developing research and jointly preparing scientific papers.

To ensure the sustainability of the cooperation program between JCU and UPI, an MoU signing ceremony was held on July 8, 2024. Dr. Heni Mulyani from UPI attended the ceremony, along with Dr. David Craig, Chief Marketing Officer of JCU, and Dr. Jamie Fellow, the Dean of CBLG, Professor Mohammad Azim, and other lecturers from JCU. The MoU signifies the potential for JCU and UPI to expand their collaboration in academic and research fields, enhance the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the two institutions, and explore opportunities for joint program development, student and staff exchanges, and mutually beneficial collaborative projects, a prospect that should fill us with optimism.

Image: Dr Fitri Rahmafitria and A/Prof Denis Tolkach in the TCI Boardroom. Credit: Dwi Sugiharti.