First dual-degree program by UH Manoa and Universitas Islam Indonesia

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Lisa Shirota, (808) 956-7352
Communications Director, Social Sciences, Dean's Office
Posted: Dec 4, 2014

UH Manoa and UII meet to discuss the first dual-degree program between the two universities.
UH Manoa and UII meet to discuss the first dual-degree program between the two universities.

UH Mānoa has announced its first dual-degree program with Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII). The program, approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and slated to begin next Fall, will be offered jointly by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) in the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences and by the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning (FCEP) at UII. The program will leverage FCEP’s core strengths in structural, geological and transportation engineering with DURP’s expertise in social, economic, environmental and policy issues.

Said Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and WASC Commissioner Reed Dasenbrock, “UH Mānoa has deep and abiding ties with Indonesia. Since 2012, it has partnered with UII on numerous efforts involving disaster science and risk reduction and resilience. This new dual degree expands upon this affiliation, builds upon the strengths of both universities, and will prepare students to meet crucial needs in disaster prevention and mitigation in Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world."

Added DURP Chair Dolores Foley, "The dual degree program will foster meaningful collaboration between two leading universities in the Asia-Pacific region — the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa  and the Universitas Islam Indonesia  at Yogyakarta, and will help both to better serve together the needs of their respective university and wider communities. The result will be graduates who are well versed in today’s multi-pronged approach to disaster risk reduction that encompasses various dimensions of urban and regional planning that go beyond more narrow concentrations."

The program will require a student to take 63 credits in total at both UII and UH Mānoa. It will be five regular semesters in duration, plus a summer semester at UH Mānoa. Students will spend the first year at UII, the second year and a part of the summer immediately thereafter at UH Mānoa, and return to UII for the Fall semester of the third year. Students who complete the 2.5-year program will be awarded both a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree at UH Mānoa and a Master of Science in Earthquake Engineering Management degree at UII.

“This program is an excellent example of the continuing efforts by U.S. and Indonesia to strengthen bilateral relations by harnessing the extraordinary talents and skill of its people to address key regional and global challenges facing both nations,” said Bernard A. Burrola, U.S. executive director of the U.S.-Indonesia Joint Council on Higher Education Partnership. The Joint Council is a bi-national organization committed to increasing higher educational ties between both nations.

Said Dean of the College of Social Sciences Denise Eby Konan, "This faculty-led initiative grew out of seed support from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, as well as USAID.  With their generous help, we brought together leaders from government, civil society, academics and the private sector to share experiences in disaster resilience in Asia and the Pacific. This new dual degree track will train future leaders equipped to grapple with complex social and technical challenges in hazard prone communities."

Indonesia, comprised of approximately 13,500 islands, is the largest country in Southeast Asia. It is situated at a major juncture of the earth’s tectonic plates and is home to over 100 active volcanoes. It is also one of the most natural-disaster prone countries in the world and has been affected by numerous disasters from floods and earthquakes to volcanic events and wildfires.

Established in 1945, UII is Indonesia’s first private university, and among its oldest as well as top 20 universities. Accredited by the Indonesian National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education, UII’s total student enrollment exceeds 15,000. UII has 9 faculties (colleges) and 30 centers and/or departments. It is located on the slopes of Mount Merapi, the most active volcano near Yogyakarta. Erupting regularly since 1548, Merapi’s massive eruption in 2010 required over 350,000 people to be evacuated. UII is actively involved with efforts to construct new villages for eruption-displaced communities.

UII's FCEP established its first graduate program, the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE), in 1999, and by 2010 it had 260 alumni from its five concentrations — Construction Management; Structural Engineering; Earthquake Engineering Management; Transportation Engineering and Planning; and Transportation Management. The academic staff of FCEP is comprised of 30 faculty members.

Added UH Mānoa Assistant Professor Maya Soetoro-Ng, "Having grown up in Yogyakarta near UII and in Honolulu, very near the University of Hawai‘i, I see so clearly the value of bringing together the human and intellectual resources of both institutions. This partnership serves as a bridge to further the efforts of disaster risk reduction and resilience by combining two innovative and important leaders in this field.  It is only with these kinds of collaborative efforts that we will see the kind of multifaceted improvements that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of people in both Indonesia and the United States, and eventually around the world."

“This is an exciting first step. Indonesia has a lot to offer. Students from Indonesia and Hawai‘i are lucky to have this opportunity to work closely and help both communities,” said UH Mānoa Indonesian alumnus Hendri Yuzal.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa fosters a multidisciplinary set of intellectual and practical tools to improve the quality of life for present and future generations, both locally and globally, through planning, public policy and social collaboration.

The College of Social Sciences (CSS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is engaged in a broad range of research endeavors that address fundamental questions about human behavior and the workings of local, national and international political, social, economic and cultural institutions. Its vibrant student-centered academic climate supports outstanding scholarship through internships, and active and service learning approaches to teaching that prepare students for the life-long pursuit of knowledge.

Photo Caption:  UH Mānoa Professors Karl Kim (seated, second from right) and Dolores Foley (seated, far right) meet with former UII FCEP Dean Mochamad Teguh (seated, second from left) and former UII Chair Widodo Pawirodikromo (seated, far left), along with members of the UH Mānoa and UII team.