Jakarta/Edinburgh, May 2025 — Following the success of their 2024 collaboration, Universitas Al Azhar Indonesia (UAI) and the University of Edinburgh (UoE) are proud to announce the renewal of their inclusive education partnership, supported by funding from the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme.
The 2025 initiative, titled Academic Success for Researchers with Visual Impairment, is one of only five projects in Indonesia selected for funding. It aims to enhance inclusivity in higher education and research for individuals with visual impairments, further building on last year’s project Enhancing Access to Higher Education for Students with Visual Impairment.
Professor John Ravenscroft, Professor of Childhood Visual Impairment at the University of Edinburgh, is leading the UK side of the project. “We are thrilled to receive this grant, which reinforces our commitment to inclusive research and equitable access to academic careers,” said Professor Ravenscroft.
Summer Xia, Country Director Indonesia and Director South East Asia at the British Council, said:
“This partnership is grounded in a shared commitment to equity in education and research. The British Council is proud to support initiatives that expand opportunities for researchers with disabilities. By drawing on the UK’s experience in inclusive higher education and working closely with national partners, this collaboration is shaping practical, locally relevant solutions that make academic success more accessible to all.”
On the Indonesian side, the project is led by Cut Meutia Karolina, a specialist in visual impairment research, alongside lecturer Gusmia Arianti from Universitas Al Azhar Indonesia. The project also involves close collaboration with Indonesia’s National Commission on Disabilities, ensuring its outcomes have a broad and lasting impact.
Launching in May 2025, the project will include:
- A scoping review of existing research on visual impairment in Indonesia;
- Study visits to the University of Edinburgh to explore best practices in inclusive research environments;
- Training workshops for academic journal managers in Indonesia on inclusive publishing standards;
- Focus group discussions with key stakeholders across the education and disability sectors.
The results of these activities will inform new policy briefs and practical guidelines on developing inclusive academic journals, contributing to a more accessible academic landscape for researchers with visual impairments.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact: john.ravenscroft@ed.ac.uk or @cviauai on Instagram.
Supported by funding from the British Council Going Global Partnerships programme. Going Global Partnerships supports universities, colleges and wider education stakeholders around the world to work together towards stronger, equitable, inclusive, more internationally connected higher education, science and TVET. Through international partnerships, system collaborations and opportunities to connect and share, we enable stronger transnational education, more collaborative research, higher quality delivery enhanced learner outcomes and stronger, internationalised, equitable and inclusive systems and institutions. This leads to stronger higher education, research and TVET systems around the world that can support fairer social and economic growth and address national and global challenges all backed up by mutually beneficial international relationships.
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- FISIP UAI
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- FISIP UAI