Jakarta. Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia’s national open and distance learning university, has successfully completed an international quality review by the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). This latest assessment — following the 2023 review and earlier evaluations in 2005, 2010, 2016 and 2019 — reaffirms UT’s position as a high-impact, scalable provider of accessible higher education and identifies priorities to advance its vision as a leading global cyber university.

Review Scope and Process
ICDE appointed three internationally renowned experts in open and distance education to conduct the review. Before the visit, they thoroughly examined UT’s Self-Assessment Report and supporting documentation. From 6 to 10 July 2026, the panel visited UT’s main campus and three of its 39 Regional Offices. They held in-depth consultations with students, alumni, academic staff, tutors and administrative personnel, and inspected key offices, studios, workshops, Regional Office facilities and a community learning centre (SALUT).

A full detailed report will be submitted to ICDE in due course. The preliminary findings and recommendations below reflect the independent assessment of the review panel and do not necessarily represent the official position of ICDE at this stage.

Key Preliminary Findings
The panel issued four high-level commendations:

1. Unmatched national scale and reach — With 768,248 active students, UT operates at an exceptional scale across the Indonesian archipelago and several major foreign cities. Its ambition to reach one million enrolled students directly supports Indonesia’s national goal of raising the gross enrolment ratio in higher education.
2. Strong leadership commitment to quality — Under Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Muktiyanto, UT’s senior management demonstrates clear dedication to strengthening teaching and learning infrastructure and building staff capacity. Voluntarily inviting this further ICDE quality review strongly signals institutional commitment to critical self-reflection and evidence-based improvement.
3. Robust technology infrastructure — UT maintains a mature, well-resourced technology ecosystem for large-scale distance learning. Its multimedia production centre and IT data centre are staffed, equipped and bandwidth-enabled to deliver interactive content and support student–tutor and peer engagement even in remote locations.
4. Regional Offices as a cornerstone of student success — UT Regional Office network delivers end-to-end student services from admission to examination at the local level and coordinates with SALUTs. The panel commended the physical infrastructure, staff training and operational models at the three centres visited.

Strategic Recommendations
The panel will deliver a comprehensive set of recommendations in its final report. A core preliminary recommendation centres on sustained government investment in UT and promotes open education.

UT makes an extraordinary contribution to Indonesia by providing affordable, internationally credible higher education and supporting the professional development of hundreds of thousands of citizens, including those from underserved communities and learners with special needs. Its highly cost-efficient operating model is a benchmark for open universities worldwide. Increased governmental support is both warranted and necessary to sustain and expand this public impact. Comparable open and distance education institutions in many other countries receive substantially higher levels of state funding.

Next Steps
The full ICDE Quality Review report, including detailed findings, evidence and prioritised recommendations, will be finalised and submitted to ICDE in the coming months. UT leadership has affirmed its commitment to reviewing the report thoroughly and translating its insights into actionable institutional development plans.

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