The Faculty of Engineering (FT) of Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unissula) is pioneering international collaboration with Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Turkey, to expand educational and research collaboration in the field of civil engineering. This assessment was carried out by two Unissula professors, namely the Head of the Civil Engineering Doctoral Program, Prof Dr Ir Slamet Imam Wahyudi DEA and Prof Dr Ir Henny Pratiwi Adi ST MT IPU ASEAN Eng. This activity is part of a series of Professor Exchange programs with VIA University College in Horsens, Denmark, and Hanze University in Groningen, the Netherlands, which is supported by Erasmus+ funding from the European Union.
The arrival of the Unissula delegation on Friday (23/10/2026) was welcomed by Prof Dr Gokhan Yazıcı from the Department of Civil Engineering and Kaan İlker Demirezen PhD, lecturer and researcher in the field of hydraulics. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss potential academic collaboration between the two universities. The focus of the exploration is directed at educational development, lecturer and student exchanges, as well as joint research in the field of civil engineering.
The exploration of this collaboration is mainly directed at the Engineering Faculty, especially the Civil Engineering Department. Previously, the Unissula Faculty of Law had collaborated with Istanbul University in Türkiye. The expansion of the network to Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa is expected to open up new collaboration opportunities, especially in the development of civil engineering education and research.
Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa was officially established as a separate institution in 2018 after the separation of a number of faculties from Istanbul University. The division includes fields such as engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine and forestry. This development is part of the institutional arrangement of higher education in Türkiye.
In academic discussions, both parties discussed the similarities in educational levels in the Civil Engineering Department. Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and Unissula both have bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in civil engineering. These similarities are one of the foundations for exploring academic exchange programs and curriculum development.
Both institutions also have scientific fields that overlap with each other. These fields include hydraulics and water resources, structures and materials, transportation, construction management, and geotechnics. This similarity in competence opens up opportunities for lecturers and researchers to develop a joint research agenda.
One of the topics of concern in exploring cooperation is handling floods and earthquakes. These two issues are relevant for the development of civil engineering science and infrastructure resilience. Research collaboration is expected to encourage the exchange of knowledge, experience and technical approaches in dealing with disaster risks.
A number of forms of cooperation were also discussed at the meeting. The proposals that have emerged include student exchange, lecture exchange or lecturer exchange, as well as research collaboration. The two parties also discussed possible funding sources that could support the implementation of the cooperation program on an ongoing basis.
Through this exploration, Unissula continues to expand collaboration opportunities with international universities. Collaboration with Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa is expected to strengthen the quality of education, expand academic networks, and encourage civil engineering research that answers real problems in society.
