Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM) opens a new doctoral program, the International Doctorate in Business (IDB). The opening of this program is part of the strategic efforts of FEB UGM to produce future business leaders who can develop business knowledge that has an impact at the international level.
This program is part of the Management Science Doctoral Study Program of FEB UGM, which has a track record and qualified scientific reputation. One is the success of obtaining superior accreditation from LAMEMBA and reaccreditation by AACSB International.
Prof. Nurul Indarti, Sivilokonom., Cand.Merc., Ph.D., Head of the Department of Management at FEB UGM, emphasized that the IDB FEB UGM program specifically targets professionals seeking to deepen their academic and practical expertise in leading adaptive, innovative, and socially responsible organizations. The program actively bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world business practice.
“Different from doctoral programs in general, IDB FEB UGM focuses on transdisciplinary research that is directly rooted in real problems in the business world and society while creating a progressive ecosystem,” she explained in the Meet The Professors IDB FEB UGM event, Saturday (21/06/2025) at UGM Campus Jakarta. This activity was organized as a discussion forum with strategic institutional partners, prospective students, and professors of the Department of Management FEB UGM, who have an international reputation.
Nurul further explained that this program is supported by the global network of FEB UGM with various partner universities in multiple regions of the world, collaboration with industry and government, and professors and lecturers who are reliable in their fields. Currently, IDB UGM has established cooperation with Hochschule Osnabrück-University of Applied Sciences. The development of this program also involves consultation and recognition from three internationally recognized institutions: Sasin School of Management, Thailand; Cranfield School of Management, UK; and Curtin University, Australia. Input and feedback from these three institutions strengthened the program’s academic and global relevance.
In the rigorous academic journey designed, IDB FEB UGM will collaborate with professors from international partner universities to create a new generation of practitioner-scholars in advancing practice-based business knowledge that has a societal impact and is highly contextualized. The affiliate professors involved are Prof. Renato Pereira from ISCTE Business School, Prof. Stein Oluf Kristiansen from the University of Agder, Prof. Dr. Kai-Michael Griese from Hochschule Osnabrück-University of Applied Sciences, and Prof. Kantha Dayaram, from Curtin University.
Nurul emphasized that IDB FEB UGM adopts an approach that actively integrates academic rigor, industry practices, and societal impact. Through this model, the program prepares its graduates to become practice-oriented leaders with strong research capabilities equipped to address real-world business challenges. She also noted that the program encourages graduates to drive innovation and sustainability strategies at organizational and policy levels, expand international networks, take on leadership roles across diverse cultural contexts, and contribute meaningfully to economic development and societal well-being.
Hosted at the UGM Yogyakarta Campus and enriched by business and industry engagement at the UGM Jakarta Campus, the IDB FEB UGM program combines offline and online learning. This approach is designed to be ideal for executives who want to remain productive while pursuing their doctoral education.
The IDB FEB UGM program is designed for a 3-year, beginning with 2 semesters of coursework. Then, the student continued with the preparation of reflective papers, international exposure activities through international conferences, preparation of proposals and doctoral essays.
Registration for the IDB program will open in August 2025, and the first lecture will begin in February 2026. Further information about this program can be accessed through the feb.ugm.ac.id/en/idb page.
Dean of FEB UGM, Prof. Dr. Didi Achjari, M.Com., Ak.CA, said that this event was part of the strategic efforts of FEB UGM in introducing and strengthening the International Doctorate in Business (IDB) program, an international doctoral program designed to answer the challenges of the global business world.
“Through IDB, we want to build a bridge between the academic world and business practices and create collaborative networks across sectors and countries,” he said.
Didi explained that the IDB program also manifests the new mission of FEB UGM, which is to form future ready leaders. FEB UGM wants to produce future leaders who are not only academically excellent, but also adaptive, have integrity, and are able to have a positive impact in the midst of changing global dynamics.
Internationalization, he added, is an important element in the development of this program, especially at the doctoral level. Through collaboration with professors and international academic partners, FEB UGM is committed to providing a world-class learning experience in terms of content and research and building strategic leadership capacity.
Through today’s Meet the Professors event, FEB UGM wants to provide opportunities for prospective participants and partners to directly dialog with IDB teaching professors. This is the right moment to explore academic insights, explore collaborative research opportunities, and understand more deeply how the resulting research contributions can impact business practices and strategic policymaking.
“We believe that a strong synergy between academics and practitioners will determine the progress of science and business. And IDB is here as a meeting place for both,” he said.
Report by: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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