Hartford– Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi continues to strengthen its international network. On Friday, October 9, 2026, the university initiated exploratory talks with the University of Connecticut (UConn), United States, during a formal meeting held at UConn’s School of Law campus in Hartford.
The meeting brought together representatives from UConn’s Office of Global Affairs, Tolga Turker and Laura Labato, with Dion Ginanto representing UIN STS Jambi. The agenda unfolded in a structured manner, beginning with personal introductions, followed by presentations of each institution’s profile, and culminating in discussions on potential areas of collaboration.
One of the main reasons behind this initiative is UConn’s reputation as a university with strong access to international funding opportunities. Programs such as the Nexus Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), and the Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship Academy are among the grants that have attracted UIN STS Jambi’s interest. These programs are seen as strategic avenues to enhance student and faculty capacity in leadership, entrepreneurship, and global engagement.
Several areas of cooperation emerged as priorities during the discussion. These include training sessions to prepare students for YSEALI scholarships, organizing international webinars, and developing Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives. Each of these areas is considered highly relevant to UIN STS Jambi’s vision of becoming a globally recognized university.
This exploratory meeting is part of the Visiting Professor program, fully funded by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (MORA). The program reflects the government’s commitment to encouraging Islamic higher education institutions to actively pursue international partnerships, not only in academic fields but also in leadership and entrepreneurship development.
“Hopefully, this collaboration will further expand the partnership between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and UIN STS Jambi in building the university towards becoming a global institution,” said Dion Ginanto.
With this initial step, UIN STS Jambi hopes to translate the dialogue into concrete programs that will benefit its academic community and strengthen its position in the international higher education landscape.