Strengthening International Collaboration, ITS Informatics Engineering and Universiti Malaya Hold Short Program Inbound Mobility 2025

Image: Participants from Universiti Malaya (UM) take a group photo during the ITS x UM Mobility Program at ITS.

Surabaya, ELECTICS ITS – A warm atmosphere was evident at the ITS Department of Computer Science, which once again demonstrated its commitment to internationalizing education through the ITS x UM Mobility Program. The program took place from September 21–28, 2025, welcoming inbound students from Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia, to participate in a series of academic and cultural activities at ITS.

The program lasted for eight days, beginning with the participants’ arrival in Surabaya, followed by a five-day workshop, and concluding with a city tour to Surabaya’s iconic landmarks. UM students not only attended lectures and discussions but also participated in hands-on sessions, lab tours at eight laboratories, meetings with ITS students through HMTC and Informatics Champions, and cultural exchange sessions.

Image: Meet-up with the Informatics Student Association together with HMTC, BSO Schematics, and BSO Flexoo in the Prof. Handayani Tjandrasa Hall, Department of Informatics Engineering, ITS.

As the program coordinator, Mr. Aldinata Rizky Revanda, S.Kom., M.Kom., explained that his role included coordinating the entire series of activities, from planning and agenda preparation to directly assisting UM students during the program. The main activity of this program was the “Workshop of AI-Powered Technologies,” which emphasized hands-on practice and collaboration in the fields of Computer Vision, Data Science, Cyber Security, and Software Engineering.

“Through this program, we want to show how ITS continues to open itself up to cross-border collaboration. Participants from the University of Malaya can experience the learning atmosphere at ITS firsthand while discovering new potential for cooperation,” said Mr. Aldinata.

Image: Visit by University of Malaya (UM) students to the Algorithm and Programming Laboratory as part of the Informatics Lab Tour activity at the Department of Informatics Engineering, ITS.

The collaboration between ITS and UM began with academic communication between ITS lecturer, Mrs. Ratih Nur Esti Anggraini, and UM lecturer, Mrs. Sri Devi Ravana, who had previously been involved in joint research collaboration. From this relationship, an initiative arose to expand the form of collaboration, one of which was through student exchange, which was successfully implemented this year.

Preparing the program was not easy. The biggest challenge was synchronizing schedules and coordinating across institutions. However, support from the team of lecturers, staff, and student committee members ensured that all activities ran smoothly. ITS students also played an active role as committee members, guides, facilitators, and study partners for UM participants. Their presence helped create a collaborative and friendly atmosphere that was greatly appreciated by the participants. In fact, Dr. Erma Rahayu Mohd Faizal Abdullah, a UM accompanying lecturer, expressed her gratitude for the hospitality and attention of the ITS team during the program, while also hoping that the collaboration would continue in the coming years.

Image: A moment of togetherness at the ITS x UM Mobility Program event.

Mr. Aldi emphasized that the main benefits for UM students are cross-cultural and academic experiences, the opportunity to learn AI-based technology firsthand, and soft skills training such as communication, adaptation, and international cooperation. In addition, they can understand how research and technological development are applied in the Indonesian academic environment.

In the future, this program is expected to become an annual agenda for ITS and UM, not only in the form of workshops, but also joint research, collaborative teaching, and student exchanges. “We hope that more students and lecturers from both universities will be involved, so that the impact will be widespread in both academic and international relations aspects,” concluded Mr. Aldi.

With the success of this program, ITS has shown that cross-border collaboration is not just a slogan, but a real opportunity for the development of students’ global competencies and the strengthening of the institution’s international reputation.