FMIPA University of Jember held a guest lecture by presenting Prof. Akhmaloka, Ph.D., from the Bandung Institute of Technology (30/1). With the theme of Tata Kelola Menuju Universitas Berkualitas Dunia (World Class University), the guest lecture presented the FMIPA community in the Physics Auditorium. The Rector of ITB for 2010-2015 began his presentation by telling about his journey to a world-class university. “You need a fundamental understanding of world-class universities, not just rankings; leadership support is also the main key, and strategies to achieve them,” said Prof. Akhmaloka, Head of the WCU-DIKTI Adhoc Team.

Strategies towards becoming a world-class university include increasing academic reputation, graduates, research, internationalization, and funding. “We will thoroughly examine the journey to becoming a world-class university one by one,” he continued. Simply put, a world-class university is a university with quality that is recognized by the world. Furthermore, Prof. Akhmaloka said that these qualities must be recognized by the world community. “So university rankings are needed to measure this quality in a systematic, measurable, and recognized manner,” he said.

It was also explained that there are many criteria for measuring the quality of higher education based on QS. After understanding the definition, the next step is the role of university leaders. “The process of becoming a world-class university requires a long and difficult path, so the leadership’s strong commitment is the main key, and it is also mandatory to transmit that commitment to the entire community,” he stressed. The leadership’s commitment is manifested in policies followed by long-term plans, strategic plans and annual plans.

Prof. Akhmaloka exemplified the importance of continuing commitment and policies towards becoming a world-class university when he served as Rector of ITB. “Every term the Chancellor of ITB has a main focus, for example when I was in charge it was strengthening internationalization, which remains in the spirit of leading to a world-class university,” he explained. The next stage is the strategy, what is it? increasing academic reputation, increasing graduate reputation, research collaboration, internationalization, and funding.

The former Chancellor of Pertamina University reviewed one by one the strategies for becoming a world-class university. So that lecture participants gain insight and knowledge that is very useful, according to the message of the Acting Dean of FMIPA at the beginning of the event. “Taking advantage of this extraordinary opportunity, Prof. Akhmaloka is pleased to share his knowledge of governance with world universities and at the same time visiting several of his students who are now lecturers at FMIPA,” said Drs. Achmad Sjaifullah, M.Sc., Ph.D.