Dr. Dhaniswara K. Harjono
Rector
Universitas Kristen Indonesia 

As we confront the most difficult days of COVID-19, we are grateful to our God, Jesus Christ, for His blessing. We are grateful that the status of the disease has shifted from pandemic to endemic in several nations, including Indonesia. Praise and worship from home, work from home, and study from home are all online activities that are gradually becoming on-site. The percentage of on-site activities began at 50%, then increased to 75%, and finally 100%. We feel it was all in God’s favor that this situation happened. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has left behind traces that must be recovered. Families who have lost loved ones will be left with a terrible sense of betrayal that must be addressed. The pandemic of COVID-19 in higher education creates a divide between higher education with a technology system and higher education with inadequate human resources and infrastructure. In order to deal with this situation, Christian colleges and universities have been called by God to aid families who have been hurt and to assist Higher Education Institutions that are not prepared to handle education in this era with a technology system. God says “But seek the welfare of the city where have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7). As a result, Christian colleges and universities must make positive impacts on the cities and countries in which they exist. Our university, Universitas Kristen 

Indonesia, collaborates with the hospital at UKI and offers free breakfast in partnership with the alumni association to persons who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. 

As an administrator of Badan Kerja Sama Perguruan Tinggi Kristen di Indonesia (BKPTKI) and a member of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia (ACUCA), our university supports collaboration between members of Christian colleges and universities as God’s body. God says “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12: 26-27). As a result, we invite all leaders of Christian colleges and universities which have excellent predicate for accreditation and advanced technology capabilities to collaborate with all Higher Education Institutions that do not have excellent accreditation and may not have technology systems to develop education with digital technology in the 4.0 era in order to reach the alpha generation. Existing collaborations among 40 BKPTKI members and 69 ACUCA members must be able to improve quantity and quality to compete with other world-class universities. To establish world-class good governance universities, we must work together on everything, such as student and lecturer exchanges, guest lectures, research, and mentoring programs. 

In conclusion, we believe that Christian colleges and universities are the Body of Christ, which are presented to the world to witness the Lord Jesus’ loves and powers in saving the world from sins and recovering every loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has turned into this endemic. Collaboration among institutions entails not only the creation of networks and cooperation but also the realization of the Body of Christ’s unity, in which advanced institutions are obligated to support weaker institutions. 

About the author: Dr. Dhaniswara K. Harjono earned his doctoral degree in Law from Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Law from Universitas Kristen Indonesia. He has served as the Rector of Universitas Kristen Indonesia from 2018-2022. He is also selected to be the Rector in his second period leading Universitas Kristen Indonesia from 2022-2026. 

About the institution: Established in 1953, Universitas Kristen Indonesia (Christian University of Indonesia) is a private higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large metropolis of Jakarta. Universitas Kristen Indonesia (UKI) is a medium (enrollment range: 6.000-8000 students) coeducational Indonesian higher education institution. UKI has 8 faculties and 1 post-graduate school with a total of 33 study programs, including diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.