The Dual Degree in Humanities between UPHF and Universitas Brawijaya

In 2023, a dual-degree agreement was signed between UPHF and Brawijaya University (Malang, Indonesia). It covers the majors “Literature, Arts, and Humanities” (ISH, UPHF) and “French Culture and Literature” (UB), respectively. Indonesian students with excellent academic records who are enrolled in the third year of Sarjana 1 (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree) may join this program to complete their fourth year at UPHF as third-year students in the “Literature, Arts, and Humanities” bachelor’s program. Upon completion of this program, they simultaneously earn a French bachelor’s degree and an Indonesian bachelor’s degree.

To date, this partnership is the only dual-degree program linking an Indonesian university and a French university in the field of French language and literature.

A Successful First Cohort

This year, two Indonesian students, Tricia Ayumi Chandra and Maria Da Vina Supranta, successfully completed this program. They rose to the challenge of adapting to university life in France as well as to the academic and linguistic requirements of the Bachelor’s Degree in Literature, Arts, and Humanities.

Thanks to the support programs implemented by the “Literature, Languages, and Arts” academic unit—remedial courses and French as a Foreign Language (FLE) classes, as well as conversation workshops offered by the language platform—Tricia and Maria have made remarkable progress in French. These resources enabled them not only to pass their exams but also to successfully complete their research theses, in literature and linguistics, respectively.

Their theses were co-supervised by pairs of faculty members from both institutions: Charles Vincent and Justine Dockx (UPHF), as well as Sigit Prawoto and Intan Dewi Savitri (University of Brawijaya). The thesis defenses, held in a hybrid format, allowed the committee to commend the students’ dedication, the quality of their academic journey, and the thoroughness of their research.

This collaboration is fully aligned with UPHF’s internationalization strategy, led by the ISH with support from the International Relations Office. It also demonstrates the adaptability of the faculty at both universities, despite the differences between the French and Indonesian higher education systems.

Beyond facilitating the mobility of international students, this partnership also benefits French students, who have the opportunity to discover other cultures and different worldviews. Finally, this collaboration opens up new avenues for cooperation between the ISH and its Indonesian partners, both in the field of education and in research in the humanities and social sciences.