The Graduate School (SPs) of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) welcomed a benchmarking delegation from the Graduate School of Universitas Siliwangi on Friday, June 26, 2026, at the Executive Meeting Room on the second floor of the Imam Bernadib Building. The visit served as a strategic forum for sharing best practices in graduate academic governance while strengthening inter-university collaboration in advancing the quality of higher education.

The delegation from Universitas Siliwangi was led by the Director of the Graduate School, Dr. Jajang Badruzaman, S.E., M.Si., Ak., C.A., accompanied by the Coordinator of the Doctoral Programme in Education, faculty members, and representatives from academic administration. The delegation was welcomed by the Director of the Graduate School, Prof. Dr. Siswantoyo, M.Kes., AIFO.; the Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Research, and Cooperation, Prof. Dr. Dyah Kumalasari, M.Pd.; the Deputy Director for Planning, General Affairs, and Finance, Prof. Dr. Yudanto, M.Pd.; the Coordinator of the Doctoral Programme in Educational Sciences, Prof. Dr. Anik Ghufron; the Head of the Educational Sciences Laboratory; and the International Affairs and Partnership Unit (UUIK) team.

The meeting began with an introduction from the Universitas Siliwangi delegation, which explained that the benchmarking visit was intended to gain insights into the academic governance practices implemented at the Graduate School of UNY. Key areas of interest included the internal quality assurance system, the management of master's and doctoral programmes, the implementation of Distance Learning (PJJ), the development of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme, and strategies for delivering integrated and high-quality academic services.

During the discussion session, the Director of the Graduate School presented the academic management systems that have been implemented to support structured, adaptive, and quality-oriented graduate education. The discussion then developed into an interactive exchange covering various academic governance issues of mutual interest.

One of the primary topics was the management of doctoral education, particularly the academic guidelines for dissertation writing. Participants learned that the Graduate School has established comprehensive guidelines and standard operating procedures governing each stage of the dissertation process to ensure that students' research consistently meets institutional academic standards.

The discussion also covered academic examination procedures, graduation assessment systems, and dissertation eligibility evaluations. The Graduate School explained that doctoral research is assessed through a comprehensive academic review involving both supervisors and co-supervisors, ensuring the quality and academic rigour of students' research before they proceed to the final stages of their doctoral studies.

Quality assurance was another major focus of the benchmarking visit, particularly regarding plagiarism detection and academic integrity. The Graduate School shared its dedicated verification system, managed by a specialised team responsible for reviewing the originality of students' scholarly work before publication or final examination.

Beyond internal academic governance, representatives from Universitas Siliwangi also expressed interest in expanding academic collaboration, including the possibility of inviting faculty members from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta to serve as external examiners in their academic programmes. Both institutions further discussed opportunities to formalise future collaboration through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) as a foundation for strengthening inter-university academic partnerships.

The benchmarking visit was conducted in a warm, interactive, and collaborative atmosphere, providing valuable opportunities for exchanging knowledge and experiences in graduate education management. Beyond sharing best practices, the meeting also opened new possibilities for future collaboration in academic governance, quality assurance systems, and the continuous enhancement of higher education services.

Through this benchmarking initiative, the Graduate School of UNY once again reaffirmed its commitment to fostering academic collaboration while actively sharing best practices in graduate education. Such partnerships are expected to contribute to the development of higher education systems that are increasingly innovative, adaptive, and globally competitive.