UGM, University of Melbourne Launch Three Double Degree Programs

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the University of Melbourne launched three Master's Double Degree programs on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, expanding opportunities for Indonesian students to gain international academic experience while strengthening cooperation between the two universities.

The programs cover agro-industrial technology, communication science, and health policy and management. The launch marks a new stage in a partnership that has lasted more than 30 years through education, research, and academic mobility.

UGM Vice Rector for Research, Business Development, and Cooperation, Danang Sri Hadmoko, said the partnership had produced various achievements over the past five years, including professor and student mobility and more than 150 joint publications. The two institutions currently have 17 active cooperation agreements.

"We truly appreciate the presence of the University of Melbourne, because this shows that we share the same spirit to build stronger cooperation in the future," Danang said, on Wednesday, August 26, as quoted on UGM's official website.

He said future cooperation should involve more students, strengthen research collaboration, and develop joint programs and resources that can benefit both countries.

University of Melbourne Pro-Vice Chancellor (Global), Frank Vetere, said the two universities had worked together for more than 30 years across almost every academic discipline, including through joint publications, academic forums, student mobility, and education and research programs.

He said the three double degree programs represent a new form of transnational education (TNE) and stressed the importance of co-design to address local needs while creating new opportunities for students.

The programs include UGM’s Master in Agro-industrial Technology with the University of Melbourne’s Master in Agricultural Sciences, UGM’s Master in Communication Science with the University of Melbourne’s Master in Global Media Communications, and UGM’s Master in Health Policy and Management with the University of Melbourne’s Master in Public Health.

University of Melbourne Associate Dean Global Engagement Faculty of Science, Willa Huston, said TNE should place students at the center of learning while connecting education with research and industry.

She said the partnership could develop into joint research that creates broader impacts for local communities and industry. "For us, two-way exchange is one of the meeting points between transnational education, research, and industry," Huston said.

The partnership has also produced collaboration in social and political studies and health. UGM's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Arts have conducted academic exchanges, joint courses, forums, and capacity-building activities covering issues including pandemics, the environment, democracy, diversity, geopolitical tensions, Indigenous knowledge, and artificial intelligence.

In health, collaboration between the two universities included child health research that contributed to the development of a rotavirus vaccine and technology transfer for vaccine production in Indonesia.

Following the launch, an information session was held for prospective students covering the programs, curricula, admission processes, and student mobility pathways.

The two universities also plan to explore broader cooperation, including non-degree student mobility, joint lectures, research collaboration, and doctoral programs. ***