Bandung, 9 January 2026 - The Faculty of Language and Literature Education (FPBS), Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), once again marked an academic achievement through the Open Doctoral Promotion Examination of the English Language Education Study Program. The activity was held on Thursday, 9 January 2026, at 08.30 WIB, at the Meeting Room, FPBS Building, 4th Floor, and was also broadcast online via Zoom.
The promotendus in this open examination was Martinus Lafu Salu, who successfully defended a dissertation entitled “An Analysis of Undergraduate EFL Students Research Report: A Case Study in a State University in West Timor.” The dissertation examines in depth the quality and characteristics of EFL students’ research reports at a state university in the West Timor region, while also providing theoretical and practical contributions to the development of academic English learning in Eastern Indonesia.
The open doctoral promotion examination was chaired by Prof. Wawan Gunawan, M.Ed., Ph.D. as the session chair. The supervisory team consisted of Prof. Emi Emilia, M.Ed., Ph.D. as the promoter and Prof. Gin Gin Gustine, M.Pd., Ph.D. as the co-promoter. Meanwhile, the examination board involved senior academics, namely Prof. Bachrudin Musthafa, M.A., Ph.D., Dr. Lulu Laela Amalia, S.S., M.Pd. as internal examiner, and Prof. Dr. Yazid Basthomi, M.A. as external examiner.
The success of Martinus Lafu Salu in earning a doctoral degree underscores the strategic role of the English Language Education Study Program of FPBS UPI in producing doctoral graduates who are not only academically excellent, but also sensitive to local and regional contexts. Research focusing on the Timor region reflects the study program’s commitment to encouraging studies that are relevant to educational needs in border areas and Eastern Indonesia.
Furthermore, this achievement serves as concrete evidence of FPBS UPI’s contribution to the development of excellent human resources in the field of English language education, particularly for the Timor region. The doctoral graduates produced are expected to become driving forces for improving the quality of higher education, strengthening academic literacy, and developing contextual and sustainable English language education research in Timor and its surrounding areas.
Specifically, the research findings presented in this dissertation provide a tangible contribution to the teaching of writing skills. First, the findings are expected to improve the quality of writing instruction in classrooms at various levels of education, both primary and secondary as well as higher education, through a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and weaknesses of EFL students’ research reports. Second, this study plays a role in educating teachers and lecturers to design and implement more effective writing learning strategies, based on academic needs and learner context. Third, this study opens opportunities to build collaboration among various stakeholders higher education institutions, schools, educators, and local governments in a joint effort to improve writing literacy quality, especially in border areas such as Timor. After the implementation of this promotion examination, FPBS also welcomed the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Cooperation, Dr. Yoseph Nahak Seran, S.Pd., M.Si. and the Rector’s Secretary of Universitas Timor, Yosef Haukilo, S.Sos. to greet and congratulate Dr. Martinus Lafu Salu.
Through the graduation of this new doctor, FPBS UPI continues to affirm its role as a center of excellence in language and literature education, while also contributing concretely to supporting the equalization of national education quality, in line with UPI’s vision as a pioneering and leading university in the field of education.
This achievement is also in line with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) which emphasizes the importance of quality and inclusive education for all, as well as SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through strengthening academic capacity in Eastern Indonesia. The research and contributions of FPBS UPI doctoral graduates in Timor are expected to help reduce gaps in the quality of higher education, promote equitable access to knowledge, and strengthen sustainable human resource development in border areas and 3T regions.