UNNES Establishes Zheng He College in Cooperation with JVIC for International Collaboration. Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES ) expands its international collaboration through the opening of Zheng He College as a form of cooperation with Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Commerce (JVIC) of Jiangsu, China. This cooperation will create cross-cultural education and spur inter-institutional academic exchange.
Prof. Dr. Nur Qudus, MT, IPM, Vice Rector for Cooperation, Business, and International Relations, UNNES, spoke about the meaning of this cooperation for deepening student experiences in both directions and fortifying bilateral relations between Indonesia and China. "It helps in bringing Mandarin language and culture to our students. Just recently, 38 Chinese students went through a one-week soft skills training program on batik-making and introductions to Central Javanese culture," he shared during a recent interview at the Senate Room of UNNES on 15 October 2024.
Expansion on international cooperation between higher learning institutions: support is demanded. Cooperation Head and Public Relations of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research Yayat Hendayana, S.S., M.Si acknowledges that the relations must be done outside Western countries as well. "UNNES explored the opening for East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea. Such are the new horizons.". This collaboration should not be confined only to student exchange programs but must be extended up to institutions, agencies, and industries in order to strengthen the quality of higher education in Indonesia," he said.
Cooperation agreements are still at 439 with 179 higher learning institutions participating where UNNES is one. The launch of the Zheng He College initiates government-to-government collaboration and will provide an avenue for other higher learning institutions to interact with strategic international partners.
We look forward to achieving better working conditions among students under this cooperation with our common goals, as well as beneficial educational and cultural development in both countries, said Ms. Wang Zhi Feng, president of JVIC.
All the grand launch was attended by such personalities as Prof. Dr. Nur Qudus, Ms. Wang Zhi Feng, and Yayat Hendayana, deans from different faculties, and Ms. Loo Hui Ann, Managing Director of ICCCM and ITEA.
