International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon Catalyzes Transformative Global Pathways Through Strategic Collaboration with Global Katalyst e.V., Germany
Cirebon, May 23, 2025 — The International Office (IO) of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon once again affirmed its leadership in global engagement by organizing an International Workshop with Global Katalyst e.V. who also partnered with Wifog Germany. Held on the 5th floor of the Cyber Building, this workshop served as a crucial follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding signed on August 8, 2024. The event was attended by university leaders and strategic units, including Dr. H. Ayus Ahmad Yusuf, M.Si. (Vice Rector 1); Prof. Dr. H. Hajam, M.Ag. (Vice Rector 3); Prof. Dr. Hj. Ria Yulia Gloria, M.Pd. (Head of the Lembaga Penjaminan Mutu); Dra. Hj. Darrojatul Jannah, M.Ag.; Dr. Nana Priajana and Zaenal Mutaqin, M.I.Kom. (Pusat Pengembangan Bahasa); Wahyono, M.Pd.I. (Head of Career Development Center); dan Dr. Maulidya Ulfah (Head of Pusat Publikasi dan Pemeringkatan Universitas). Also present were key international collaborators: Doddy Kadarisman (Director of International Partnerships at Global Katalyst e.V., Germany) and Cahyantara Ekaputri (Global Katalyst e.V.), elevated the momentum of this meeting, but it was the International Office—under the stewardship of Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. and Ivo Dinasta Yanuar, M.Appling—that stood firmly at the heart of it all.
With the theme From Ausbildung to Academia, the workshop highlighted one of the International Office’s most ambitious directions yet: creating real pathways for UIN SSC students to work, study, and grow in Germany. As Germany faces a serious labor shortage and Indonesia struggles with saturated job markets for university graduates, UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon (UIN SSC), through its International Office (IO), has taken bold steps to bridge the gap. This was not merely a presentation of opportunities, but a carefully designed vision that merges academic innovation with international career preparation. The International Office demonstrated how global cooperation is not just about diplomacy—it is about designing access, building capacity, and delivering futures. This is where internationalization becomes deeply personal: preparing students not just to dream, but to arrive.
The workshop introduced a roadmap centered on integrated learning, recognition of prior learning (RPL), and curriculum alignment. These are not buzzwords—they are tools to dismantle limitations. The International Office knows that the journey to Germany—or anywhere globally—requires not only competence but alignment. From credit transfer mechanisms to the development of double-track programs, the workshop was a declaration: UIN SSC will not wait to be included in global flows—it will initiate them. That spirit of forward movement is precisely what defines the IO.
One of the most meaningful moves was the initiation of a German language learning program, spearheaded by the International Office as a structural necessity. Recognizing that language is a gatekeeper to culture, connection, and career. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. stated, “If we want real access to opportunity, we must start with language.” With this in mind, the Language Development Center (Pusat Pengembangan Bahasa) was invited to collaborate on preparing programs tailored to career readiness in Germany. This was more than coordination—it was care. It was a belief that preparation must be holistic and humane. The International Office is not only linking departments, but nurturing a shared readiness to meet the world on equal terms.
This sense of readiness was echoed in the presence of the Career Development Center, which saw the collaboration as a vital answer to student aspirations. And while the offers from Global Katalyst—including funding and technical support—were substantial, the power of this event came from the institution’s internal alignment. The International Office didn't just invite support—it cultivated it. Its persistence and precision turned an international opportunity into an institutional movement.
Throughout the event, it became clear that the International Office is not merely administering programs—it is shaping a future. It sees beyond numbers and agreements. It sees lives that will be changed. It sees students who will become professionals, not only through chance, but through design. In a higher education landscape often dominated by formality, the International Office of UIN SSC has chosen to lead with intention, vision, and heart.
As the workshop closed, so began a stronger foundation for long-term collaboration, curriculum alignment, and student preparation for Germany. But beyond that, it marked another chapter in the International Office’s story: of not just going global, but guiding others with it. UIN SSC’s International Office is proving that internationalization, when done with soul, transforms not only campuses—but people.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri