State Islamic University (UIN) Mataram continues to refine its steps to break into the international academic stage. As part of that commitment, the team preparing the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) for the ACQUIN UIN Mataram conducted an online workshop on the preparation of the self-evaluation document on Monday, June 29, 2026.
This strategic activity was attended by the university leadership, including the Vice Rector 1, the Quality Assurance Institution (LPM) team, the Head of the International Office, the Deans of the Faculties, the Director of Postgraduate Studies, the Deputy Director, the Deputy Deans, the Head of TIPD, and the Head Librarian, as well as the Chairpersons and Secretaries of the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree study programmes. This workshop also integrates the hard work of the three main clusters of UIN Mataram, namely Cluster 1 (Education), Cluster 2 (Social Humanities), and Cluster 3 (Islamic Studies).
The vice rector 1 of UIN Mataram, Prof. Dr Adi Padli, M.Ag., officially opened this important agenda. In his speech, he emphasised that the international accreditation process is not merely a formality for achieving a status but a crucial momentum for UIN Mataram to undertake substantive quality transformation. Prof. Adi Padli emphasised that all elements of the university must synergise to ensure that supporting data and the writing of the forms meet the strict standards set by the Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programmes (ACQUIN), which refers to the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).
In the reporting session, the International Office, which guided the event, conveyed the latest developments regarding the document preparation process. Based on the latest data recap, the overall progress of the SAR document preparation has reached 65 per cent. This figure indicates positive progress and serves as a reminder that the working team must move more tactically to complete the remaining supporting documents.
To ensure the quality of the draft being prepared, the secretary of LPM UIN Mataram, Prof. Dr Abdul Quddus, opened an interactive discussion space for the entire cluster team. The accreditation support team directed each cluster coordinator to present the outline of their documents. Through this scheme, each team member is given ample opportunity to dissect the template, refine the narrative, and consult on various technical issues directly with the expert from ACQUIN, Robert Raback.
One of the crucial points that became the focus of discussion in the meeting was the synchronisation of the SAR form structure with the standard outline required by ACQUIN. Additionally, a lively discussion also developed around the fulfilment of the student recognition point. In response to this, Robert Raback explained that student recognition requires proof in the form of modules or official guidelines established by UIN Mataram. The institution must be able to demonstrate how the regulations are implemented on the ground, complete with valid achievement indicators, such as the possession of student competency certificates, as well as a track record of achievements in various competencies and international activities.
The differences in the academic systems between Indonesia and Europe also did not escape the participants’ attention. The cluster team delved into the conversion between the Semester Credit System (SKS), which is applicable in the homeland and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which is a tradition in European universities. In this regard, Robert assured that the concept and calculation of SKS in Indonesia are fundamentally equivalent and can be aligned with the ECTS system, thus not becoming an obstacle in the assessment.
Robert Raback expressed high appreciation for the enthusiasm and hard work of the UIN Mataram team. He emphasised his commitment to accompany the entire process flexibly and adjust to the schedule proposed by the self-study report-writing team. This step was taken to ensure that the document filling can proceed optimally. Robert hopes that the dedication shown by this cross-cluster team can yield optimal results, bringing the proposed study programme to achieve international accreditation and strengthening UIN Mataram’s position in the global higher education competition map.