On 11th April 2017, Universitas Prasetiya Mulya signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Waterloo University in an effort that will see both universities work towards the establishment of a cooperative (co-op) education system among many other plans. Waterloo University is a world-class university that is renowned for its effective co-op programmes with an expertise in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; as such, the partnership is targeted for the development of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya’s School of Applied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). As a leading higher education institution in Indonesia that is well-known for its innovative curricula, the newly-established cooperation with Waterloo University – a Canadian learning institution that has become sought-after for its learning method which balances knowledge and skills application – is set to complement Universitas Prasetiya Mulya’s competitive advantage in the industry. Event attendees included Rector of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya, Prof. Dr. Djisman S. Simandjuntak, Dean of School of Applied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at Universitas Prasetiya Mulya, Prof. Janson Naiborhu, Director of Applied STEM Academic Affairs at Universitas Prasetiya Mulya, Mr Franky Supriyadi, Ph.D; Mr Scott Davis as Faculty Relations Manager, Arts, Environment & Accounting at Waterloo University, Mr Abdullah Muljadedi as the First Secretary of Global Affairs at the Embassy of Canada in Jakarta as well as a slew of other senior-level individuals. After the MOU signing ceremony was carried out, participants which consisted of Universitas Prasetiya Mulya’s lecturers were given a training session on cooperative education that was led by Mr Scott Davis.
Through the MOU signing, both universities will make available a comprehensive list of initiatives ranging from scholarship programmes for students, collaborative research and mentoring opportunities for faculty members as well as develop centres of excellence in the field of actuarial science and business mathematics. During the event, Prof. Dr. Djisman Simandjuntak reiterated that the goal for Universitas Prasetiya Mulya is to utilise the study of science and mathematics in advancing the field of actuarial science in Indonesia. Moreover, with Waterloo University’s expertise in cooperative education, the Canadian higher education institution will carry out technology transfer opportunities in order to strengthen Universitas Prasetiya Mulya’s application-based style of learning.
As Universitas Prasetiya Mulya takes on a more serious tone to its skills application teaching method, a selected number of the university’s lecturers were equipped with several training modules on cooperative education. Among the topics that were covered included building the foundation of cooperative education, creating the capacity for integrating co-op programmes into the university’s curricula in addition to utilising the co-op education system as a tool for talent recruitment. With a proven track record for the successful implementation of cutting-edge curricula as evident through its list of prominent alumni members, Universitas Prasetiya Mulya’s most recent partnership with Waterloo University is set to further catapult the Indonesian higher education institution’s position in the industry going forward.