Kupang, July 11, 2025 – Implementation Science Leadership Fellowship Program, hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FK-KMK UGM), carried out a comprehensive monitoring visit to fellows undertaking their internships in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. This activity forms part of IS Leadership Program’s ongoing commitment to uphold academic excellence, foster professional growth, and ensure that all internship experiences contribute meaningfully to the advancement of public health in diverse community settings. Funded by the Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), the program specializes in equipping future global health leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to address pressing health challenges in various socio-cultural contexts. The monitoring visit was led by Prof. dr. E. Elsa Herdiana Murhanxarwati, M.Kes., Prof. Ari Natalia Probandari, MPH., Ph.D., and drh. Kharisma Dewi, MPH, representing the Implementation Science Leadership Program academic management team. The delegation visited two key institutions in Kupang the Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) Office and the Kupang City Health Office which currently serve as host organizations for Implementation Science Leadership Program fellows. The fellows involved in the internship program are Rhondemo A. Kikon (India), Dina Arisonaningtyas (Indonesia), and Monjurul Karim (Bangladesh), each bringing unique perspectives and expertise to their assigned projects.
Throughout the visit, the focus was on evaluating the fellows’ ongoing work, ensuring that their activities are well-aligned with both academic requirements and the operational priorities of the host institutions. This was achieved through a combination of on-site discussions, progress presentations, and strategic consultations involving all parties. The fellows shared detailed updates on their projects, which span a variety of public health areas such as disease prevention, community engagement, and health system strengthening. These updates highlighted the tangible contributions the fellows have made, as well as the innovative approaches they are employing to address local health issues. In parallel, the Implementation Science Leadership Program management team engaged in dialogue with representatives from WVI and the Kupang City Health Office to assess the overall effectiveness of the internship placements. This included exploring how the fellows’ research outputs can be translated into practical, community-based solutions, and how collaboration between academia and field organizations can be further enhanced. Such discussions also provided an opportunity to address operational challenges, fine-tune work plans, and reinforce mutual expectations.
The monitoring process is more than a procedural requirement it is a platform for mutual learning. Fellows gain critical feedback and mentorship from both their academic supervisors and field mentors, while host organizations benefit from the fresh perspectives and research-based insights brought by international and local fellows. For Implementation Science Leadership Fellowship Program FKKMK UGM, the visit reaffirmed the importance of hands-on, field-based learning as a complement to classroom-based instruction, and highlighted the value of embedding students directly within communities where public health interventions take place. The significance of this monitoring visit extends beyond individual project outcomes. It reflects a broader vision for building long-term partnerships between universities, government health agencies, and non-governmental organizations, both within Indonesia and internationally. By facilitating such collaborations, Implementation Science Leadership Fellowship Program strengthens its role as a hub for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and cross-cultural cooperation in global health.
This initiative is firmly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in achieving sustainable development. Through this monitoring visit, Implementation Science Leadership Program UGM has demonstrated how academic programs can actively contribute to these global objectives by producing graduates who are not only academically competent but also socially engaged, culturally sensitive, and equipped to work collaboratively in diverse contexts. As Implementation Science Leadership Program continues to support fellows in their academic and professional journeys, visits like this serve as a vital reminder that impactful public health work begins with strong relationships, clear alignment of goals, and a shared commitment to improving community health to locally, nationally, and globally.
Writer: Fikri Wahiddinsyah