International Alumni Award
Growing up in a small village 40 kilometres from Surabaya in Indonesia, Nurul Barizah dreamed of studying at the best high school in the city. She never imagined she would hold her current role of Professor of International Law at the Universitas Airlangga.
Professor Barizah initially wanted to be a doctor, but a discussion with her high school friends set her on the path to studying law instead. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Professor Barizah started lecturing. But she needed more qualifications to work at the level she aspired to.
It was on a training course where she met a professor from UTS. That chance meeting led to her completing her Masters, followed by a PhD, at UTS. Professor Barizah enjoyed the university’s facilities and supportive academic environment. Making friends from different backgrounds opened up her world, and the critical and analytical thinking skills she learned during her studies set her up to be the leader she is today.
Now, Professor Barizah is the Chair of the Quality Assurance Board at the Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya. Specialising in international law, international intellectual property law, international trade law and international dispute resolution, Professor Barizah is a sought-after speaker and expert, consulting with Government ministries, NGOs, civil societies and social organisations in Indonesia.
Professor Barizah is dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of higher education in Indonesia. She is responsible for ensuring and enhancing the quality of all 185 study programs at the Universitas Airlangga, and for facilitating national and international accreditation processes. One of her biggest accomplishments while serving as dean of the Faculty of Law was bringing the Faculty of Law Universitas Airlangga into international recognition with a ranking of 200 by the QS World University Ranking by subject of Law - an extraordinary achievement considering that previously the Faculty did not have a ranking at all.
Professor Barizah is also committed to supporting and improving higher level education at an international level as a member of the Board of Governors at the International Association of Law Schools – a position never held by the Dean of any law school in Indonesia. She’s also a member of the Academic Board at the National Academy of Professional Studies in Sydney.
Soft skills are incredibly important for lawyers now and in the future. As technology evolves, without those skills we risk being replaced by artificial intelligence. As well as building capacity, we should be empowering young lawyers with problem solving, creativity, initiative and strong communication skills.