Development of joint curriculum as a first step to establish joint/double degree: Lesson learned from the partnership ITENAS and MATE.

A joint curriculum between two or more universities is a program developed in order to increase the capability of graduates with broadened knowledge in their field, taste an international atmosphere and also increase their networking for the global challenges. As a part of internationalization strategy, this program can be described as the exchanges of teaching/learning process and the new knowledge between the countries. These programs are built on the principle of deep academic collaboration and bring important benefits to students (individuals), institutions, national and regional education systems. Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung (ITENAS Bandung) – Indonesia and Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences/Magyar Agrár és Éllettudományi Egyetem (MATE) – Hungary, have been initiated to develop a joint curriculum program, since 2018, when ITENAS Bandung got a competitive RISTEKDIKTI grant (Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia) to develop a joint curriculum of Mechanical Engineering, for the MSc Program. The prerequisite to establish this program, both universities should have a great relationship, at first. The process was carried out by mapping and harmonizing the curriculum (evaluation of the course subjects each semester) while comparing the learning achievements, arrangement the difference of credit number and definition in both universities. Furtherly, this concept is enabling students from ITENAS and MATE take part the mobility program (reciprocal principle), and possible to get a Joint/Double Degree, with predetermined rules, and in the end of study, the students will get 2 (two) certificates (from ITENAS and MATE). At the implementation level, both universities should ensure that the structure of the joint curriculum program may not cause an extension of the study period of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]