Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) solidifies its position as an internationally recognized university by achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management and ISO 21001:2018 for Educational Organization Management System. This accomplishment affirms UPH’s commitment to maintaining internationally recognized quality and educational standards. 

ISO 9001:2015 is a standard applicable to various types of organizations, including educational institutions, hospitals, and other service-oriented businesses. The ISO 9001:2015 certification assesses whether an institution meets the standard requirements in managing the quality of services provided to customers. 

On the other hand, ISO 21001:2018 is a management system standard that focuses on the quality of educational organization management. This standard aims to evaluate whether an educational institution has delivered services which met the needs of students, staff, faculty, organizational owners, the general public, and other stakeholders. 

The ceremonial certificate presentation for ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 21001:2018 was held on June 6, 2023, at UPH Lippo Village Campus. The event was attended by UPH leadership representatives, including UPH Chief Academic Officer (Provost) Christine L. Sommers, Ph.D., RN, CNE, UPH VP for Marketing and Growth Binsar Pandiangan, UPH Associate Provost for Academic and Innovation Eric Jobiliong, Ph.D., UPH Unggul Task Force Chairperson and Dean of Faculty of Tourism Prof. Dr. Diena Mutiara Lemy, A.PAR., M.M., CHE, as well as faculty and university leaders. 

“With great confidence, I present the evidence of the hard work of all the civitas members of UPH in the form of two international standard recognitions from Australia and the United States. This signifies that UPH is also recognized internationally as ISO has members from around 175 countries,” expressed PT Decra Group Indonesia CEO Sholichin A. Darmawan, MBA, upon presenting the ISO certifications to UPH leadership. 

Sholichin added that UPH has passed all stages in the ISO certification process. Audits were conducted on UPH leaders, management, and staff before deciding to grant the certifications. Eleven principles were audited, including UPH’s focus on students and beneficiaries, visionary leadership, human resource engagement, process approach, continuous improvement, evidence-based decision-making, relationship management, social responsibility, accessibility and inclusivity, ethical behaviour, as well as data protection and security. He hoped that these two certificates would benefit UPH for its future development and the achievement of its vision and mission. 

Prof. Diena conveyed in her speech that apart from gaining international recognition in quality management and education, these certifications are also beneficial for UPH in maintaining quality to ensure that the services provided meet the standards. She also explained that obtaining ISO certification is a step for UPH towards achieving “Excellent” accreditation (akreditasi unggul)  from the National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (BAN-PT). 

Christine Sommers also shared her view that ISO certification is an important part of UPH’s journey towards “Excellent” accreditation. She stated that UPH has four main priorities to be achieved in 2024, namely international recognition, quality and innovative curriculum, and continuous improvement in the quality of education. 

While attending the ceremony, UPH Head of the Education Development and Quality Assurance Agency (LP2MP) Dr. Indriani explained that UPH’s journey to achieve the certifications commenced in December 2022. After going through the multiple stages, UPH was deemed eligible to receive two certifications simultaneously, ISO 9001:2015 on April 29, 2023, and ISO 21001:2018 on May 16, 2023. 

“Through these certifications, UPH demonstrates that as an educational institution, we have a good management system – an internationally recognized one,” explained Indriani. 

With the achievement of these two ISO certifications, UPH has proven its commitment to implementing its vision and mission. Through excellent, holistic, and transformative education, UPH is committed to nurturing future leaders who are God-fearing, competent, and professional.