Dr. Joachim Voss is a Fulbright Specialist at Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta in 2025.

Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ) and Dr. Joachim Voss, a Fulbright Specialist from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), successfully completed a short-term capacity-building project from 7–17 July 2025.

The project aimed to improve the capacity of UPNVJ faculty members in scientific manuscript writing for international journals and grant writing activities focused on global grant agencies. The activities included a lecture on systematic review, a research ethics webinar, an intensive workshop on international journal publication, a manuscript clinic providing one-on-one coaching, and a grant writing skills workshop.

“These initiatives addressed critical gaps in UPNVJ’s research ecosystem, particularly the low acceptance rate of faculty manuscripts in Scopus/WoS-indexed journals and limited success in securing international grants,” said Associate Professor Dr. Sri Lestari Wahyuningroem of UPNVJ.

Immediate outcomes included more than 25 manuscripts refined for resubmission, seven draft grant proposals from seven faculties targeting international schemes, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants: enhanced confidence and technical skills.

“Beyond skill-building, the program’s broader impact lies in elevating UPNVJ’s research culture. Moving forward, UPNVJ and UNMC will explore joint research projects particularly in public health, curriculum development, and joint academic publications and international seminars,” said Dr. Rita Ismail, Associate Dean for Academics of the Health Sciences Program.

Dr. Voss, Associate Dean for Academic Programs at UNMC, and Dr. Rita Ismail have successfully collaborated for the last 15 years on projects related to stigma experienced by women living with HIV in Indonesia and adherence to antiretroviral medication in hard-to-reach populations in Indonesia. The collaboration resulted in joint research projects and highly recognized manuscripts over the years.

“Out of this collaboration came the idea for the Fulbright project,” said Dr. Voss.

He further noted that his experiences as a Fulbright Specialist across disciplines revealed many similarities between fields and allowed him to offer guidance for university leadership. These insights were shared with the leadership of the respective programs and are expected to contribute to further faculty development activities focused on research and scholarship. This will directly impact the tenure and promotion process within the institution and allow for greater international visibility for UPNVJ.

In the final days of the project, Dr. Voss spoke with leadership about possible faculty and student exchanges and opportunities to engage faculties from both institutions in mutual research projects. Early contacts have been established between the health sciences faculty in Indonesia and faculty from the College of Nursing in the U.S., focusing on developing virtual reality simulations in women’s health.