Webinar Series #1 - ASEAN Higher Education Conference: It's Time for ASEAN to Go Global!

In pursuit of the vision of inclusive higher education through digital transformation, the ASEAN Higher Education Conference (AHEC) organized Webinar Series #1 out of 10 series with the theme "Fostering Digital-Driven Research and Innovation." This webinar, held on June 7, 2023, aimed to explore the potential of digital technology in enhancing research and innovation in higher education. Universitas Padjadjaran hosted the first webinar in this series.

On this occasion, Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D., the Rector of Universitas Terbuka (UT), had the honour of being one of the keynote speakers with a presentation entitled "Ensuring Equal Opportunity of Digital Ecosystem to Universities in Indonesia." Other keynote speakers included Prof. Dr. Rina Indiastuti, S.E., MSIE. (Rector of Universitas Padjajaran - Indonesia), Dr. Kyi Shwin (Rector of Yangon University of Foreign Languages - Myanmar), Dr. Hazri bin Haji Kifle (Vice Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam), and Mr. Charamporn Jotikasthira (Executive Director of Bangkok Bank Public Company Ltd. - Thailand).

Prof. Ojat emphasized that digital transformation has been regarded as an important and strategic solution in Indonesia. Currently, technology-enhanced learning, particularly online learning, is an important agenda for all universities in Indonesia.

Prof. Ojat explained that providing access to higher education for the entire Indonesian population remains a serious challenge for the Indonesian government. Indonesia has a large population of around 280 million people scattered across 5,000 kilometres from east to west, spread across 17,000 islands among 360 ethnic groups.

To address this issue, the government has mandated UT to address the issue of providing massive-scale access to education. Established in 1984, UT is the only distance-learning university in Indonesia. UT employs the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) model for higher education. To ensure maximum service, UT has 39 regional offices (UT Daerah) across Indonesia, and there are extensions of UT Daerah in the form of UT Service Centers (Sentra Layanan UT - Salut) located in various clusters of cities and districts.

UT also utilizes an integrated monitoring system to ensure all services run smoothly. UT has developed virtual reading rooms, UT TV, UT Radio, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The university has implemented an online examination system with remote proctoring applications, providing opportunities for individuals to take exams from their homes or offices.

Furthermore, UT serves students from around 50 countries, particularly recent migrant workers abroad, with the majority in Saudi Arabia, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Jerusalem, and South Korea. By implementing distance education, UT has provided the community with equal opportunities for higher education, increasing the number of students over time.