UKRIDA has re-oriented its computer science, engineering, psychology, management and economics departments towards health science development.

"I would like to make health science the trademark of the university," Sukarto says. "This will differentiate UKRIDA from other universities."

Established by the Indonesian Church of Western Java in 1967, the Christian higher education institution integrates values such as integrity and religious ethics in every aspect of learning. It has since grown to comprise four campuses throughout Jakarta. The student population of 3,300 includes exchange students from Malaysia, the Philippines and Austria.

UKRIDA continues to grow as a high-ranking medical and health science university. It is working towards the prestigious American Heart Association certification for emergency response and care for heart-attack victims by next year.

The university has the best medical laboratory facilities in Jakarta as the result of the rector's overseas efforts to find cutting-edge yet cost-effective biomedical technology.

Having aligned all courses with its health science thrust, UKRIDA has acquired a hospital in East Jakarta, and started building a second hospital on its medical campus. Work on the university's fully equipped ophthalmology centre for underprivileged patients is in progress. "My priority is obtaining good technology to serve the poor and people in need," Sukarto says.

In its drive to offer world-class health science education, UKRIDA has faculty exchange programmes with Taiwan's Chung Yuan Christian University, Australia's University of New South Wales and the Philippines' De La Salle University. It is developing similar programmes with universities in the United States and Austria and the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

UKRIDA is likewise collaborating with University College Shahputra in Malaysia to open a medical school. Students at UKRIDA gain advantages from these global affiliations.

Responding to the rapid development in information technology (IT), UKRIDA has also partnered with Microsoft and Oracle for its IT systems. UKRIDA is committed to enhance its faculties' research programmes, emphasising interdisciplinary research in health science. The university remains open to additional global partnerships to accelerate its movement towards becoming the No 1 health science university in Southeast Asia.