03.06.2025

Rectors‘ Workshop

Minister Nasaruddin Umar (white shirt, center left) welcoming the participants in Jakarta.

Rev Dr Dyah Ayu Krismawati (left), Executive Secretary Asia at UEM, wrote her PhD thesis on Christian-Muslim dialogue: A field, in which Nasaruddin Umar is active as a politican.

Rev Félicité Ngnintedem (front right) leading the workshop, here in the conference room in Jakarta Theological Seminary. All photos by: Ridho Simamora, UEM

Bringing together universities and educational institutions to achieve international accreditations and work stronger together – that was the aim of the Rectors' Workshop held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Twenty leaders of universities, training centres, and higher education institutions gathered there in May 2025, invited by the United Evangelical Mission (UEM). Their institutions either work in cooperation with churches or are directly held by them. What unites them is a common concern: many students, after years of study, face the problem that their degrees obtained in one country are not recognised in another. Europe, in particular, is internationally known for closing itself off and closing access to education. However, if a course of study or an institution is internationally accredited, these barriers are often easier to overcome.

Especially in times of increasing globalisation, it is therefore essential that universities do not operate in isolation but actively build networks and meet international standards. The participating heads of institutions introduced their universities and centres to each other and discussed opportunities for student and staff exchange, as well as ways to strengthen contact among institutions: through South-South and South-North partnerships between the three regions of the UEM – Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Acting Sustainably with Artificial Intelligence

In addition to working on these networks, the programme also addressed current topics in international education policy. Rev Félicité Ngnintedem, Executive Secretary Global Programs and member of the UEM Management Team, explains with an example: "The term sustainability is often associated solely with environmental issues. We have now also brought it into the focus of education experts. In dealing with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in particular, the UEM sees a special responsibility: education must not only be future-oriented but also ethically grounded. The goal is not to make learners passive consumers of AI-generated content, but to enable them to engage with it actively, creatively, and critically. The aim should be to foster originality, innovation, and personal responsibility rather than a ‘copy & paste’ mentality."

The participants met Nasaruddin Umar PhD, the Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, who is particularly committed to interreligious dialogue, and discussed education and religion with him. After a Sunday worship service, they visited the Tunnel of Friendship, which connects Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, the Masjid Istiqlal, with the nearby Jakarta Cathedral. At the close of the gathering in Jakarta, there was another opportunity to plan future cooperation and exchanges between the institutions – built on a solid foundation after nearly a week of working together. Félicité Ngnintedem draws a positive conclusion from the workshop: "In the global education discourse, we have contributed a building block to the larger workshop of world education – a stone that helps make the common house stronger and more sustainable."