Originating from a friendly collaboration between institutions of higher education in China and Thailand, the Asian University Presidents Forum was officially established in 2002 to include higher education institutions across Asia. Since then, the forum has been held annually in different Asian countries and has fostered relationships and cooperation among participating institutions. In fact, cooperation is at the heart of the mission of the forum, whose mission is to “Increase Communication, Exchange Information, Share Experience and Seek Common Development.”

Petra Christian University began its journey in 1961, with a purpose to provide the local community for quality education with Christian values in Surabaya. Fifty-seven years later, Petra Christian University is now a multicultural institution that serves both national and international students of diverse cultural and religious background, offering an extensive range of college degree courses in a variety of fields.

Since its founding, the university has remained committed to be one of the leading higher-education institutions in Indonesia by promoting excellence in learning through quality education and by proactively taking part in advancing science and knowledge both nationally and internationally. In fact, Petra Christian University has been recognized as the Best Private University in 2015, 2016, and 2017 by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia.
Moreover, as a proactive global citizen, Petra Christian University realizes that one of its responsibilities is to uphold its mission to be a global and caring university. In accomplishing this mission, Petra Christian University is currently partnered with international institutions across Asia, Europe and America in joint/double degree programs, student exchange, and summer programs. Most importantly, the university is also involved in joint leadership initiatives to continue to advance knowledge and education nationally and internationally.
As a part of its leadership initiatives in higher education, Petra Christian University is honored to host Asian University Presidential Forum’s (AUPF) 17th Annual Meeting. The forum, whose aim is to foster cooperation in seeking common development among higher-education institutions in Asia, will discuss a pressing issue in the field of higher education in Asia. Specifically, AUPF’s 17th Annual Meeting will urge university leaders from all over Asia to address the theme of “Disruptions at the Crossroads: Innovative Engagement and Future Challenges for Higher Education.”
Moving forward, Petra Christian University is proud to continue taking part in AUPF’s efforts to promote cooperation and common development of higher-education institution in Asia.

Surabaya, the capital city of the province of East Java, is a vibrant city with a rich cultural heritage from its Dutch colonial past and multicultural inhabitants. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Surabaya had been a major trading center under the Dutch colonial government. Surabaya was also key in Indonesia’s fight for independence, due to it being the site of the Battle of Surabaya in 1945, when Indonesia fought the allied forces for the first time as an independent country. Due to this, Surabaya earned its nickname, the City of Heroes.

Even after Indonesia gained its independence, Surabaya remains one of the busiest trading ports in Indonesia, while also being the hub for financial and business activities in East Java, attracting multinational companies such as Yakult (Japan), Cargill (USA) and Unilever (Netherlands/UK). Recently, the completion of the Suramadu bridge, a bridge connecting Surabaya and the Madura island, has boosted the local economy in both areas.
As the second largest metropolitan in Indonesia, Surabaya is home to approximately 3.4 million people with diverse ethnicity and religious backgrounds. This multicultural element is evident in some unique buildings around the city, such as the Cheng Ho Mosque, a mosque built in Chinese architectural style, and the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, the oldest Roman Catholic church in Surabaya, which was built in Gothic revival style. Other important religious landmarks include the Al-Akbar Mosque which is the largest mosque in East Java, and the Sanggar Agung Temple, a Chinese temple built over the sea on the Kenjeran Beach.
Under Surabaya’s first female Mayor, Tri Rismaharini, Surabaya has seen major improvements in infrastructure quality and public spaces. Surabaya has eleven major parks, many of which provides wi-fi access and include other facilities, such as fitness centers and libraries. Surabaya has also become greener with the additions of city forests and green lanes. In fact, Surabaya has won several awards, including the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City Award in 2012, and the Adipura Kencana Award for being the cleanest city in Indonesia.
With a rich cultural and historical past, Surabaya is a mixture of the old and new, vibrant and bustling with activities while still allowing its residents and visitors to feel at home.

AUPF’s 2018 Forum will be held at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Surabaya. Sheraton Hotel and Towers is an eco-friendly five-star luxury hotel located at the heart of Surabaya. In addition to being strategically located, the hotel also has direct connection to Tunjungan Plaza, the biggest shopping mall in Surabaya, currently consisting of six conjoined mall buildings.

The hotel offers extensive range of hotel amenities, multilingual staff, complimentary wireless High Speed Internet access, and 24-hour front desk while also ensuring eco-friendly practices such as energy and water conservation practices, and waste minimization practices. For these eco-friendly efforts, the hotel received the Green Building Awareness Award: Hotel Category from Surabaya City Government in 2014.

Visa Information

In order to enter Indonesia, you need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the arrival date. The Indonesian government offers Visa on Arrival service for foreigners, which will allow them to remain in Indonesia for 30 days.
Passport holders from almost all Asian countries (with the exception of passport holders from North Korea and Afghanistan), are eligible for the Visa on Arrival service. For more information, kindly visit the Directorate General of Immigration’s webpage:
(http://www.imigrasi.go.id/index.php/en/public-services/visit-visa#general-info)
Note: When planning your arrival time in Indonesia, kindly anticipate for the length of time that you may need for the Visa on Arrival application.

Accommodation

AUPF’s annual meeting will take place at the Sheraton Surabaya Hotel and Towers. Participants whose registration fee includes accommodation will be staying in Sheraton Surabaya Hotel and Towers for the whole duration of the event.

Transportation

Surabaya’s Juanda Airport (IATA: SUB) is the second busiest airport in Indonesia, with direct international flights to and from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Hong Kong, Taipei, Guangzhou, Tokyo, Bandar Seri Begawan, and many other destinations. The airport has two terminals: Terminal One, which is mainly used for domestic flights, and Terminal Two, which serves international flights, and domestic flights by Garuda Indonesia. Petra Christian University is located in the south part of Surabaya, and is approximately 20 minutes away from Juanda Airport.
We will strive as much as we can to arrange the transportation for you from the airport to the hotel and vice versa at no extra cost.
If, for any reasons, you are not able to take any of the shuttles/cars arranged by the committee FROM the airport, you can also take an airport taxi to the hotel. There are several taxi companies that are allowed to operate at Juanda Airport. Each company has a booth in the arrival hall at Terminal One and Terminal Two, right after the baggage collection point. Please visit Juanda Airport’s website for maps of the terminals: https://www.juanda-airport.com/en/international-terminal/index
Due to Juanda Airport’s regulation, please keep in mind that passengers are not allowed to order online taxis or taxis other than from the approved companies. In order to take a taxi, you need to buy a ticket and pay for it upfront. The price of the ticket is fixed and depends on your destination. Here are the steps for ordering a taxi FROM Juanda airport to the hotel:

1. Go to any taxi booth, and order a taxi to take you to Sheraton Hotel. The hotel is located at Embong Malang 25-31, Surabaya.
2. Pay for the taxi fare. You will then receive a ticket/voucher.
3. Exit the arrival hall, and find the taxi stand. You will need to give your ticket to the driver.
4. The driver will drop you off at the location written on the ticket. The ticket does not cover other fees such as toll road charges. Tipping the driver is optional.

For the return trip to your country, should you prefer to take a taxi to the airport, you can always ask the Concierge for help. Usually there are a number of taxis that are on stand-by at the hotel. Alternatively, you can also order a Grab taxi on your own.
However, we will be happy to provide transportation to the airport at no extra cost. Taking into account different flight schedules, we will try our best to accommodate everyone’s transportation needs. Kindly communicate with a committee member in advance should you need transportation to the airport.
We will provide more information on transportation (from and to the airport) arranged by the committee as it becomes available. Kindly regularly check on our website for updates if you would like us to arrange your transportation for you.