Bond University has signed a memorandum of agreement with the United Nations University International Institute for Software Technology (UNU / IIST) in Macau to promote the sharing of curriculum and teaching methods with developing countries.
The intellectual exchange scheme involves UNU sponsoring international academics to come to Australia and spend a semester studying the Bond University curriculum, with the aim of taking their newfound expertise back to their home country.
Mr Sarngadi Palgunadi from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), in Java, Indonesia, is the first academic to visit Bond under the scheme, having arrived at the Gold Coast campus in September.
A Professor in the Information Technology Faculty of UNS, Mr Palgunadi hopes to study the Bond University I.T. curriculum with the aim of improving the curriculum of the programs he coordinates back home in Indonesia.
“Bond University’s teaching methods and curriculum are far more developed than those in Indonesia. What I learn over this semester will be invaluable to the 500 I.T. students I currently teach at UNS,” Mr Palgunadi said.
“I am also benefiting from exposure to the most up-to-date resources and course material. We do not have a lot of books or resources at home, so the opportunity to have access to Bond’s collection of the latest text books, plus lecture notes and handouts is truly invaluable.
“My sponsorship by the United Nations University also includes a book allowance, so I am spending a lot of time in the Bond library choosing texts and exploring the electronic library, which is a very new experience for me,” he said.
Mr Palgunadi also said he was enjoying the Gold Coast lifestyle and he hopes to visit Brisbane before the end of his exchange.
“This is such a nice place. Everyone has been so generous and friendly. I’ve been spending a lot of time chatting with research students. If I can find another sponsor, I would like to come back to Bond one day to study my PhD.”