As the coordinator for Indonesian Partner University of OPTBANK Erasmus+ Project, Universitas Sebelas Maret has successfully become the host for The OPTBANK Midterm Evaluation and Workshop to Design New Modules held at Royal Heritage Surakarta Hotel from September 24 – 27, 2019. The participants of this activity come from European Partner University (Universite de Limoges – France, Universita Degli Studi Roma Tre – Italy, University of Bangor – UK, and Technical University of Crete – Greece), Indonesian Partner University (UNS, ITB, UIN Jakarta, UNSYIAH, UNSRI, and UNTAN), and also associate partner from banking regulator (Bank Indonesia, Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, and Lembaga Penjamin Simpanan).

In the midterm evaluation, we evaluated all activities of OPTBANK that have been done in the last one year. The Project Coordinator, Prof. Amine Tarazi from Universite de Limoges – France, appreciated all the efforts that have been put in all OPTBANK Activities started from 2018 until mid of 2019. There are still many areas of improvement for upcoming programs, such as the selection process of participants in exchange and training program, dissemination strategy for each activity, the reporting flow, and the clarity of PIC for upcoming programs. The Project Committees are optimist that all upcoming programs will run successfully until the end of this project in 2020.

After the midterm evaluation, we discussed about how to design the new modules for Ph.D in Banking and Finance. There are 10 modules presented by all experts including 2 modules involving 3 banking regulators in Indonesia (Bank Indonesia, Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, and Lembaga Penjamin Simpanan). Those modules cover specific areas of banking and finance, such as Islamic Banking; Banking Institution and Bank Risk Management; Banking Regulation and Financial Stability; Structure and Efficiency of Banking Markets; Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Financial Deepening; Corporate Governance of Financial Institutions; Quantitative Finance; Operational Research Artificial Intelligent-Based Techniques in Banking and Finance; and also module that are specifically related to banking industry in Indonesia presented by Dr. Inka Yusgiantoro from Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, Dr. Yoga Affandi from Bank Indonesia, and Dr. Herman Saheruddin from Lembaga Penjamin Simpanan.

The modules discussed in this meeting are planned to be implemented in the beginning of 2020. The pilot project will be conducted in Universitas Sebelas Maret and Institut Teknologi Bandung. The success of the pilot project will open the possibility to apply the modules in each Indonesian Partner University.