Toward Golden Indonesia with UT

Universitas Terbuka (UT) has been entrusted with a strategic mandate to make higher education accessible to the people of Indonesia, regardless of their economic and geographic conditions, as well as to enhance the quality of human resources in anticipation of a Golden Indonesia or Indonesia Emas," stated Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D., the Rector of Universitas Terbuka, during the MoU signing ceremony held at the Universitas Terbuka Convention Centre (UTCC) Building in Tangerang Selatan. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from UT, the Government of the Regency of Pandeglang, and Bentani College of Hospitality on Thursday, February 23, 2023.

"The principle of networking or partnership has been a fundamental principle adhered to by UT since its establishment," added the Professor, born on October 26. This principle has been consistently demonstrated through various partnerships and collaborations initiated by UT with numerous stakeholders.

On this occasion, the Government of the Regency of Pandeglang expressed gratitude and appreciation for the vision of Universitas Terbuka. "Last year, UT provided 100 CSR scholarships to our residents, aligning with our mission to develop human resources in the Regency of Pandeglang to facilitate breakthroughs in the tourism, agribusiness, and industrial sectors," said Tanto Warsono Arban, S.E., M.E., the Vice Regent of the Regency of Pandeglang. "We hope to continue and enhance this partnership in the future."

Monika Bahari, the Director of Bentani College of Hospitality, echoed similar sentiments. "We recognize the importance of higher education for all members of the Bentani College of Hospitality community, and Universitas Terbuka's Prior Learning Recognition (RPL) scheme has proven to be highly beneficial to us. This year, we have sent four alumni to pursue higher education at UT, and we hope to see this number continue to grow rapidly in the future."

Prior Learning Recognition (Rekognisi Pembelajaran Lampau or RPL) is the recognition of learning achievements obtained through formal or non-formal education and/or work experience, which is then converted into formal education credits. RPL provides opportunities for the general public to enter the formal education system or obtain specific qualifications based on their formal education, non-formal education, informal education, or work experience in fields that are highly demanded by the state, such as lecturers, instructors, teachers, medical personnel, and other specialized professions.

"Through the RPL scheme, students are able to receive full recognition for their education up to the first five semesters, based on certificates or sufficient evidence of professional experience," added Rahmat Budiman, S.S., M.Hum., Ph.D., UT's Vice Rector for Institutional Development and Partnership Affairs.

The atmosphere of the occasion was warm and cordial. At the conclusion of the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of understanding, all parties exchanged gifts as a symbol of goodwill. The program concluded with a group photo session.