30.08.2023

Darmstadt and Salatiga

Day 2 of the panel discussion in Salatiga. Photo by: UKSW

Visiting Sion Foundation: Good coffee is best when grown by the local community. Photo by: Matthias Börner, UEM

Bringing together perspectives from different countries: A core business of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) as a Communion of churches in three continents. In Germany EKHN* Church belongs to the UEM Communion, in Indonesia GKJTU* Church. Both churches are involved in diaconal work. They train competent young diaconal workers - and now they do it together:

The Protestant University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt (EHD*) and the Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW*) are now working together in a university cooperation. Representatives of the EHD, the UKSW and the UEM met in Salatiga, Indonesia, in June 2023.

Lecturers and leadership of both universities first exchanged ideas about concepts and challenges of diaconal work and education in Indonesia. And they visited projects of the Sion Foundation: Empowerment, health and education are among the focal points of the foundation. With community-based coffee farming, a mobile clinic and vocational training, it is part of Java's active civil society.

The first joint event organised by the two universities was a two-day panel discussion on diaconia and inclusion with 150 students and teachers.

For the future, EHD and UKSW agree on a Global Summer School in Indonesia, joint virtual lectures and semester events, mutual visits with job observation opportunities, and a comparative study on diaconia from a German and an Indonesian perspective.

The exchange of expertise and the international networking of universities on diaconia and social work is a core task of the Diaconia Team of the UEM.

*EKHN = Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau)

*GKJTU = Gereja Kristen Jawa Tengah Utara (Christian Church of North Central Java)

*EHD = Evangelische Hochschule Darmstadt (Protestant University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Germany)

*UKSW = Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (Christian University "Truth of Discourse"), Salatiga, Indonesia)