Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya (Unika Atma Jaya) kembali menorehkan kebanggaan di kancah internasional. Melalui program GIPE++ 2026 (Global Interdisciplinary Project Experience)

Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia (Unika Atma Jaya) has once again achieved international recognition. Through the GIPE++ 2026 (Global Interdisciplinary Project Experience) program, Unika Atma Jaya became one of four selected universities entrusted to participate in an international collaborative project funded by DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), the German Academic Exchange Service, one of the world’s most prestigious academic grant institutions. The other partner universities involved in the program are Universidad Católica San Pablo (UCSP) from Peru, Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) from Namibia, and Westfälische Hochschule from Germany.

In this project, Unika Atma Jaya is represented by a lecturer delegation serving as Stream Lead along with five selected students. The delegation consists of lecturers and students from the Faculty of Biosciences, Technology, and Innovation (FBTI) and the Faculty of Business and Social Innovation (FBIS). The Unika Atma Jaya delegation in GIPE++ 2026 includes Dr. Nova Eka Budiyanta, M.Pd., M.T. from the Electrical Engineering Study Program (FBTI), serving as Stream Lead for the Technology Architecture & Data Integration substream as well as the Hardware & Database Management substream, together with five selected students: Ryan Gunawan from the Electrical Engineering Study Program (FBTI), Citra Amalia Lestari from the Information Systems Study Program (FBTI), Stephan Hardy Darmawan from the Mechanical Engineering Study Program (FBTI), Ayuri Lintang Putri from the Communication Science Study Program (FBIS), and Seraphita Katryel Amaris from the Communication Science Study Program (FBIS). Their participation is part of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) framework, in which students from different countries collaborate in intentionally integrated teams through an international learning approach that places equal collaboration at the center of the process.

The GIPE++ 2026 project focuses on the issue of Sustainable Land Management in the Quilca District, Peru. Quilca is an agricultural area located downstream of the Quilca–Vítor–Chili basin and is facing serious challenges related to river water salinization and land degradation. With a population of around 860 people who rely on agriculture and fisheries for their livelihoods, Quilca requires integrated data-driven solutions. The project is designed to produce an integrated land management model and a digital data management platform that will eventually be handed over to the local government of Quilca. The entire project adopts the COIL method by bringing together students from four continents to work collaboratively as one unified project team.

Midway through the project, the team participated in the GIPE++ 2026 Spring School, which took place over two weeks from April 26 to May 9, 2026, at the Westfälische Hochschule campus in Germany. The Spring School began with a welcome gathering that brought together all international participants in person for the first time after previously collaborating online during Phase 1.

Each of the five Atma Jaya students actively contributed to different streams according to their respective fields of study. During Phase 1, Ryan Gunawan and Ayuri Lintang Putri contributed to the Technology Architecture & Data Integration Stream, where they were involved in developing monitoring system proposals, processing environmental data, and utilizing Google Earth Engine for geospatial analysis.

Entering Phase 2, the students were distributed into advanced streams. Ryan Gunawan and Citra Amalia Lestari joined the Hardware & Database Management Stream, which focused on designing integrated monitoring systems for agriculture, including water quality, soil quality, and water usage monitoring.

Beyond the academic activities, the Spring School experience offered equally valuable personal and cultural dimensions. Visits to cities such as Düsseldorf, Cologne, Münster, and Bochum, along with social activities including International Day, karaoke nights, museum visits, and simple moments shared in the dormitory kitchen where participants exchanged food and stories from their respective countries, became unforgettable memories.

Unika Atma Jaya’s participation in GIPE++ 2026 serves as clear evidence of the university’s commitment to preparing graduates who are not only academically excellent but also experienced in collaborating on the international stage. With the project handover to the Quilca District government targeted for August 2026, Atma Jaya’s contribution to GIPE++ 2026 will continue, and its impact is expected to be directly felt by communities in southern Peru.