Jakarta. The Faculty of Languages and Arts of the Jakarta State University (UNJ) recently partnered with the Shenzhen Chinese Road Education & Technology Co., Ltd. (ChineseRd) to equip Indonesian students with Chinese language skills.

Mandarin Chinese is the world's most spoken language, with about 1.12 billion native speakers. The freshly signed memorandum of agreement between ChineseRd and UNJ is based on the "Tri Dharma" of higher education: teaching, research, and community service.

In the teaching aspect, curriculum development and improving the quality of learning are key to ensuring graduates possess applicable Mandarin language competencies. In the research sector, collaborative research in Mandarin, education, and learning technology is expected to generate innovations relevant to global challenges. In terms of community service, this collaboration is aimed at providing language training programs and improving global literacy oriented towards job readiness, according to a press release.

"This collaboration focuses on strengthening the Mandarin language skills of FBS-UNJ students to help them increase their competitiveness in the context of globalization. As international interactions and cross-cultural collaborations intensify, Mandarin serves as a crucial means of communication, opening up more development opportunities for students and professionals," Guo Xinlin, chairman of the board of directors at ChineseRd said.

"In this cooperation with FBS-UNJ, ChineseRd is committed to building a Mandarin learning ecosystem that meets academic standards and aligns with the needs of the international workplace."

Samsi Setiadi, the dean at FBS-UNJ, said that the collaboration would cement FBS UNJ at the global level.

"We view international cooperation as a long-term investment in improving the quality of human resources. Through this collaboration with ChineseRd, we encourage lecturers and students to be actively involved in cross-border academic activities that have a direct impact on the quality of learning and the competitiveness of graduates," Samsi said.