UMB Global Engagement (UGE) is the unit at Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu responsible for managing the university's international partnerships, cross-border programs, and global academic initiatives. It is the first point of contact for partner institutions, visiting academics, and prospective international students who want to connect with UMB.
The unit has gone through several phases since it was first established in 2015 as the International Affairs Office (Kantor Urusan Internasional / KUI), operating under the coordination of UMB's Rectorate Secretariat. In 2024, the unit expanded its mandate and was restructured as the Office of Cooperation and International Affairs (Kantor Kerjasama dan Urusan Internasional / OCIA), reflecting a broader role that formally included institutional cooperation alongside international affairs. In 2026, the unit was elevated to a Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) and renamed UMB Global Engagement, its current form. The progression reflects how seriously UMB takes internationalization as a core institutional priority, not a side function.
What UGE Does
UGE coordinates UMB's international activities across three broad areas: student and faculty mobility, institutional partnerships, and international academic programs.
On the mobility side, UGE sends UMB students to partner universities and institutions abroad every semester through exchange programs, short courses, international community service (KKN Internasional), internships, and academic conferences. It also brings international students, visiting professors, and academic practitioners to UMB's campus in Bengkulu. These are not occasional events. Mobility programs run on a regular cycle throughout the academic year.
On the partnership side, UGE manages UMB's network of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and Memoranda of Agreement (MoA) with universities and institutions across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. The office does not just file agreements. It works actively to ensure that each partnership produces real, documented activity within its validity period, in line with Indonesian accreditation standards.
On the academic programs side, UGE oversees the two International Undergraduate Programs (IPEE and IPCS), coordinates visiting professor arrangements, supports joint research with international partners, and manages the administrative and immigration processes for incoming international students from application through to arrival.
A Track Record of Real Activity
Since its early years, the unit has built a portfolio of international programs that spans multiple countries and program types.
Student exchanges and international community service programs have taken UMB students to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Türkiye, and Brunei Darussalam. Joint research collaborations are active with institutions in Taiwan, Thailand, and Türkiye. Visiting professor programs have brought academics from several countries to teach and engage with students and faculty on campus. Double degree schemes and other joint academic arrangements are also part of the portfolio.
The geographic spread matters. UMB is not a university that limits its international reach to one or two neighboring countries. The network continues to grow, and UGE is the unit that manages and grows it.
Working with UGE
Whether you are a university looking to formalize a partnership, a faculty member interested in a visiting lecturer arrangement, or a student from abroad considering studying at UMB, UGE is the team to contact. The office handles the full process from initial inquiry through to implementation, and its staff have direct experience navigating the administrative requirements on both the Indonesian and international sides.
For international students specifically, UGE manages every step from application and document verification to study permit processing, visa submission, and arrival coordination. Students do not have to figure out Indonesian immigration procedures on their own.