UNY officially established a strategic cooperation with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), China, marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The meeting, aimed at strengthening collaboration in education, research, and cultural exchange, was held at the Rectorate Building of UNY on Friday, 20 June 2025. The event was officially opened by UNY’s Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Information Systems, Prof. Soni Nopembri, Ph.D. In his remarks, Prof. Soni warmly welcomed the delegation from GDUFS and appreciated the establishment of this cooperation.

“This activity becomes a momentum to strengthen collaboration and formalize it through the signing of the MoA, both in academic and non-academic fields such as education, research, and cultural exchange,” said Prof. Soni. He added that the meeting specifically involved leadership from the relevant faculties: the Dean of the Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Culture (FBSB), the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), as well as the Dean of the Faculty of Law, along with vice-deans and heads of departments.

The delegation from GDUFS was led by the Chairman of the University Board, Shi Youqi. In his presentation, he expressed gratitude for the warm welcome from UNY. He introduced GDUFS as one of the leading international universities in southern China, which shares a 60-year history with UNY and has about 40,000 students in total. “Today’s meeting and the signing of this cooperation will become a new starting point. We will continue to push the implementation of this cooperation, including student exchange programs, especially at the master’s (S2) level,” explained Shi Youqi.

The cooperation between these two universities is expected to become a driving force for institutional development across various sectors. Forms of collaboration include student and lecturer exchanges, joint research, scientific publications, as well as the development of academic and cultural programs. This initiative represents a concrete step by UNY in its efforts to enhance the quality of globally-standardised education and to expand its international cooperation network beneficial for both parties.