The idea of establishing a Catholic Higher Education Foundation started around 1914-1919. At that time, many HBS (Hogere Burger School) graduates were unable to continue their higher education to the Netherlands, due to circumstances regarding the first world war and the resultant transportation barriers to Europe.
During the 1950s, in what became known as the "Catholic College Awakening Era" after the establishment of several Catholic universities in Indonesian cities, Mgr. J. Klooster, CM as the Bishop of Surabaya founded the Widya Mandala Foundation.
Widya Mandala comes from the ancient Javanese language; Mandala means building or place in the sense not only physical and Widya means scholar. So Widya Mandala can be interpreted as a place of education for wise and successful people (scholars). Some people also simplify the meaning of Widya Mandala as a place or container of knowledge.
September 20, 1960 was designated as the anniversary of Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya (UKWMS). When it was founded, UKWMS was located at Jalan Dr. Soetomo, Surabaya. Now there are ten faculties, postgraduate programs (S2 and S3), as well as a Secretarial Academy (D3). The activities of the Widya Mandala Catholic University in Surabaya are outlined in the form of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education which consists of Education and Teaching, Research, and Community Service.
As one of the oldest private universities in Surabaya, UKWMS has four campus buildings to support the teaching and learning process. The main campus is located on Jalan Dinoyo 42, inhabited by the Business Faculty, the Communication Science Faculty and the Agricultural Technology Faculty. The second campus is located on Jalan Kalijudan 38, inhabited by the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Teacher Training & Education. The third campus is located on Jalan Dinoyo 48, inhabited by the Postgraduate Program. The newest campus building which was inaugurated in 2013 is the Integrated and Comprehensive Health Sciences Campus and is located on Jalan Kalisari Selatan 7 in the Pakuwon City complex. Carrying integrated learning methods across health sciences, on this fourth campus there are the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Psychology, the Faculty of Nursing, the Faculty of Philosophy, and the Faculty of Medicine.
Locations
Widya Mandala Catholic University has four campuses in the city of Surabaya and one in Madiun, Indonesia.
The first campus in Dinoyo hosts the Faculty of Business, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Arts in Communication, and the Secretary Academy (Office Administration).
The second campus in Kalijudan is also equipped with sports facilities such as basketball and tennis courts. The Kalijudan campus hosts the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Teaching and Education.
The third campus in Pakuwon City was established in 2013. It is located in a residential complex that is projected to be an independent city in the East Surabaya area. The campus at Pakuwon City Laguna was built with the concept of an Integrated Health Sciences Campus, which includes mental and physical health. Pakuwon campus hosts the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Psychology, and Faculty of Philosophy in one integrated campus.
The Graha Widya Mandala campus, located in the same location as the Dinoyo Campus, is equipped with complete facilities and is convenient for use by the Widya Mandala Secretarial Academy. Graha Widya Mandala campus offers a Master Program in Management, a Master Program in Accounting, a Master Program in English Education, a Ph.D Program in Management, and a Language Institute.
Widya Mandala Catholic University is a founding member of APTIK (Asosiasi Perguruan Tinggi Katolik) or the Association of Catholic Universities in Indonesia and a member of ASEACCU (Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities). In addition, Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya is one of the few universities in Indonesia whose Business Faculty holds a membership with the AACSB (Association of Advance Collegiate School of Business), an international accreditation organization for business studies programs based in Tampa, Florida, United States.[citation needed]
Widya Mandala Catholic University is connected through partnership, institutions and alliances with universities in Australia, Europe, Asia, and North America. UKWM has signed MoU and/or AOI collaborates on academic cooperation with several overseas universities, and institutions such as:
