The Graduate School of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (GS UNY) hosted a benchmarking visit from the Graduate Program of Lambung Mangkurat  University (GP LMU) on Monday, 1 December 2025. The activity, held in the Teleconference Room on the 2nd Floor of the Sugeng Mardiyono Building, served as a forum for knowledge exchange and the strengthening of institutional collaboration, particularly in the development of Distance Learning (Pendidikan Jarak Jauh/PJJ) programs.

The Director of the GS UNY, Prof. Dr. Siswantoyo, M.Kes., AIFO., officially opened the event and welcomed the LMU delegation. In his remarks, he introduced the GS UNY leadership team in attendance, including the Vice Director for Academic Affairs, Research, and Cooperation (AARC), the Vice Director for Planning, General Affairs, and Finance (PGAF), the Coordinator of International Affairs of Partnership Unit (IAPU), and the Secretary of the Host Unit. He emphasized that GS UNY remains committed to sharing best practices and expanding collaborative networks among graduate schools.

Meanwhile, the Director of the GP LMU expressed appreciation for the warm reception extended by GS UNY. He explained that the primary objective of the visit was to conduct a benchmarking study on the implementation of Distance Learning programs as part of LMU’s institutional development plans. The delegation also included the Vice Director for Academic Affairs and Student Services, the Vice Director for General Affairs and Finance, the Head of the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU), and members of the  team.
“We are currently designing two strategic programs and wish to learn more deeply to ensure readiness for implementation. We hope that the initial designs we have prepared can be further refined through this benchmarking process, while also anticipating potential challenges that may arise,” he stated. He further noted that insights gained from previous benchmarking visits to UNY had contributed to the improvement of LMU’s national higher education clustering status, moving from the Main Cluster to the Independent Cluster.

The session continued with an interactive discussion. The first question addressed the mechanisms for curriculum development and the implementation of Distance Learning programs, specifically whether they follow the same structure as regular programs or have distinct characteristics. The question was directly addressed by the Vice Director for Academic Affairs, Research, and Cooperation of GS UNY, who elaborated on the curriculum development process, quality standards, digital infrastructure readiness, and effective strategies for managing online learning. The discussion evolved dynamically, covering additional topics such as academic requirements for fast-track programs, quality assurance schemes, student management, and human resource readiness to support online-based program delivery.

The event concluded with the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), whose previous term had expired, along with the signing of an Implementation Arrangement (IA) as a concrete follow-up for joint activities. This signing reaffirmed the commitment of GS UNY and the GP LMU to building a sustainable partnership grounded in the continuous improvement of higher education quality. (LS)