International accreditation is an important part of higher education management. International recognition can result in various benefits for students, lecturers, faculty, and the university itself. Recognizing this opportunity, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) and the Faculty of Nursing UI underwent international accreditation by the International Accreditation Agency, AHPGS (Akkreditierungsagentur im Bereich Gesundheit und Soziales – Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences). There are 3 (three) study programs at FPH UI that undergo accreditation, they are Bachelor of Public Health, Master of Public Health, and Master of Hospital Administration. On October 24-25, 2022, the AHPGS assessors were present to conduct an on-site visit which is an essential part of accreditation.
The five assessors were Prof. Dr. Ute Gaidys from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences; Prof. Dr. Franz Hessel from SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences; Dr. Rolf Heusser from University of Zurich, Switzerland; and Prof. Dr. Klaus Runggaldier from University of Applied Science and Medical University, Germany; as well as Leopold Beham as a Medical Student at Technical University of Munich who will evaluate from a student perspective. In addition to the assessors, AHPGS Managing Director Georg Reschauer and AHPGS Quality Assurance Consultant Lena Schnell were also present.
On the first day, the AHPGS team was welcomed by the UI Leaders at the University of Indonesia Administration Center Building. At this meeting, the Rector of Universitas Indonesia, Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., expressed his welcome and his expectations for this accreditation. After the welcoming agenda, a discussion was held between the AHPGS team and the University management. The AHPGS team then carried out the next agenda in Building A of the Health Sciences Group (RIK). There are 2 (two) other discussions that must be carried out, which consist of discussions with faculty representatives, including deans, vice deans, managers, and heads of study programs, as well as discussions with lecturers and study program secretaries. In accordance with these activities, the AHPGS team also held discussions with students and alumni of FPH UI. Campus tour and city tour were also other agendas carried out by the AHPGS team accompanied by liaison officers from FPH.
At the final debriefing, conclusions and suggestions from the AHPGS Team were presented based on the results of the assessment. There was also a friendly event attended by the leadership of UI, FPH, FIK, and of course the AHPGS team. This was an official closing of the on-site visit, with performances from the FPH UI dance community, Tatranesa, and also FIK UI, Batari Chandra.
Dean of FPH UI, Prof. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., said an international accreditation is one of the efforts made by FPH to improve the quality of learning in order to become an international health education institution. “International recognition, facilitating the mobility of graduates to compete in the global job market, opening staff and student mobility throughout the world, and increasing opportunities for educational and research cooperation in the international realm are some of the goals to be achieved through this international accreditation process,” added the Dean.
The AHPGS team expressed how they found so many interesting things during this visit. The team also stated how this visit was very well designed so that they enjoyed their time here. In the future, it is hoped that other study programs can also undergo international accreditation both from AHPGS and other institutions. (BK)