UNAIR NEWS – The Information and Library Sciences (IIP) degree program is one of those provided by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Universitas Airlangga. The study program, which was established in 2003, is located in the Dharmawangsa B Campus of Universitas Airlangga.
Hendro Margono S Sos M MT PhD, the Head of the Department of Information and Library, explained that information flow has become faster in today’s era. The Information and Library Science Bachelor’s program is innovative, responsive, and ethical, designed to address the challenges of the dynamics of the information revolution and global societal development.
Accreditation and excellence
The Information and Library Science Bachelor’s program at Universitas Airlangga has gained an A and Excellent accreditation from both national and international institutions, such as the Accreditation Service International Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ASIC) and the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA).
The Information and Library Science study program at UNAIR is the only one in Indonesia that integrates two disciplines, Library Science and Information Science. Through this approach, the study program provides students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in both fields, to be qualified graduates ready to face challenges in the information and library sector.
“This study program differs from the others. We are the only ones in Indonesia who combine information science and library science. It’s multidisciplinary, with social science, technological science, and library science,” he explained.
Support for Student Development
The Information and Library Science study program is also committed to supporting the students’ development. During their studies, students are given the freedom to participate in national and international programs. Students who want to participate in internships or international student exchange programs will be guided by lecturers.
“Almost every semester, we consistently send our students to participate in student exchange programs. Just recently, we sent nine of our students to participate in a student exchange program at Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM),” he said.
“And to prepare our students before entering the job markets, we also provide internship programs. Students get to choose where they want to intern, and later it can be converted into credits. We also have several partners for internship collaboration, such as Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Surabaya, UK Petra, and etc,” he added.
Support for students is not only demonstrated through internship and student exchange programs. Hendro also explained that the majority of Information and Library Science students at UNAIR can graduate on time or in just 3.5 years. This shows that during their studies, students are well-assisted in graduating quickly.
Great career prospects
Before applying for university, one of the considerations is the career prospects of that major. Clearly, in an interview session, Hendro explained that after obtaining an S.IIP degree, there is no need to worry about finding a job. Although the study program may sound unfamiliar, it has very broad career prospects.
“Overall, the majority of our alumni work in the library field. However, our career prospects are broad. We don’t only learn about library science but also integrate it with information science. Therefore, we also prepare several courses such as library information systems and library application design, which will equip students with supporting skills such as data analysis and coding software proficiency,” he said.
Hendro also emphasized that high school students should not hesitate to continue their education there. The Information and Library Science at UNAIR will assist the learning of its students. In terms of quality, IIP UNAIR has gained international standards and is the only one in Indonesia.
Author: Naufal Hilmi F.
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
