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Building Academic Bridges with Indonesia
Promoting its educational offer, discussing joint research and educational projects, and meeting with its alumni community were the main objectives of Nicolaus Copernicus University's academic mission to Indonesia.
From 4 to 10 November, an NCU delegation visited, among other places, Yogyakarta, Jakarta and the island of Lombok, strengthening existing ties and establishing new partnerships.
Indonesia is one of NCU's strategic partners, says Dr habil. Magdalena Barwiołek, NCU Prof., Vice-Rector for International Relations. “Our relations with alumni are particularly important. As members of the NCU Indonesian Alumni Club, they are natural ambassadors for the University. Many of them emphasise that studying in Toruń opened up new opportunities for them and had a significant impact on their professional careers. An important part of the visit also included meetings at Indonesian universities and talks with the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara Province about the possibility of establishing a special scholarship programme. This could provide a foundation for closer cooperation with universities in the region, including joint research, educational projects and study programmes."
Studying in Poland attracts interest
One of the objectives of the visit was participation in the European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) 2026, held in Yogyakarta on 4 November and in Jakarta on 7–8 November. Nicolaus Copernicus University presented its educational offer to prospective students from Indonesia. NCU representatives provided information about English-taught programmes, including medical studies offered by the Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz.
Photo: submitted
Organised in Indonesia by the European Commission since 2008, the EHEF is a major platform for European universities to meet directly with young Indonesians considering studying abroad. The fair attracts several thousand visitors every year.
Talks on cooperation
One of the key events during the visit was a meeting with Dr H. Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, Governor of West Nusa Tenggara Province. Vice-Rector Dr habil. Magdalena Barwiołek, NCU Prof., discussed opportunities for expanding educational cooperation and establishing a scholarship programme for students from the region. The meeting was also attended by NCU alumni and Ecco Foundation founders Hendra Adhigoena Prakarsa and Walissa Tanaya Pramanasari, Katarzyna Pawlonka from the Department of International Partnerships and Educational Mobility, and Ahmad Munjizun, the Governor's assistant.
The mission programme also included meetings with representatives of Indonesian universities. On 4 November, the NCU delegation visited Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta. Discussions with Adhe Nurcahyarini, Deputy Director for Programme Development, and Dr Tyas Aikhsan Hikmawan, Director of the International Affairs Office, focused on joint educational programmes and opportunities for collaboration between researchers.
Photo by Kinga Nemere-Czachowska
Another partner of NCU is Universitas Muhammadiyah Mataram on the island of Lombok. On 9 November, the university's Rector, Dr H. Abdul Wahab, M.A., and NCU Vice-Rector Dr hab. Magdalena Barwiołek, NCU Prof., signed a letter of intent on academic and educational cooperation. The NCU representatives also met with students to present the University's educational offer and opportunities to study in Toruń and Bydgoszcz.
Alumni as NCU ambassadors
Meetings with the Indonesian NCU alumni community were another important part of the mission. On 6 November, a formal gathering with alumni was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Jakarta. The event was attended by Barbara Szymanowska, Ambassador of Poland to Indonesia, and Anis Apriliawati from Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.
Two days later, NCU representatives met with members of the NCU Indonesian Alumni Club in Mataram, Lombok, to discuss future activities and the development of the alumni community.
Photo by Urszula Sęczyk-Bonczkowska
The delegation also visited schools in the village of Genggelang on Lombok, supported by Ecco Foundation. The organisation was established and is run by NCU alumni Hendra Adhigoena Prakarsa and Walissa Tanaya Pramanasari. Their work demonstrates how graduates remain committed to supporting local communities and maintaining ties with their alma mater long after completing their studies.
NCU delegation:
- Dr habil. Magdalena Barwiołek, NCU Prof. – Vice-Rector for International Relations;
- Kinga Nemere-Czachowska – NCU Alumni Programme Coordinator;
- Prof. Arkadiusz Jawień – Director of the Center for Medical Education at Collegium Medicum (English Division);
- Dr Mariusz Popławski – Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies;
- Katarzyna Pawlonka – Department of International Partnerships and Educational Mobility;
- Marta Żuchowska – Department of International Partnerships and Educational Mobility;
- Aleksandra Kowalska – Department of International Partnerships and Educational Mobility;
- Urszula Sęczyk-Bonczkowska – Department of Promotion and Communication.
The project “Welcome to Poland, welcome to NCU – grow among us", implemented under the Welcome to Poland programme (2024 call), is co-funded by the European Union through the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 (FERS), as part of the NAWA project entitled “Support for Higher Education and Science Institutions in Providing Services to Foreign Nationals and Polish Citizens Going Abroad" (No. FERS.01.05.IP.08-0003/24).
Dr Mariusz Popławski's visit was funded by the Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University.
