Atmajaya University

Date of Establishment: 1^st June 1960

Founder: Atma Jaya Foundation

The idea of establishing a catholic university in Indonesia was proposed at a meeting between bishops of Java held in Jakarta on 1^st June 1952. To respond to this idea, the Atma Jaya Foundation was formed by a group of young catholic intellectuals on 1^st June 1960 and this foundation established a catholic university named Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya (Atma Jaya Catholic University). Among these young catholic intellectuals were: Ir. J.P.Cho, Drs. Lo Siang Hien-Ginting, Drs. Goei Tjong Tik, I.J. Kasimo, J.B. Legiman S.H., Drs. F.X. Seda, Dr. Pang Lay Kim, Ir. Tan Bian Seng, Dr. Anton Moeliono, St. Munadjat Danusaputro S.H., Drs. J.F. Tan, and Drs. Ben Mang-Reng Say.

At its early years, Unika Atma Jaya was supported by the Ursuline sisters. They kindly lent the university their classrooms in Ursuline school complex on Jalan Lapangan Banteng Utara and in Santa Theresia complex in Menteng. Since 1967, Atma Jaya has gradually occupied a permanent campus on the Jalan Sudirman campus well known as the Semanggi Campus. The Faculty of Medicine, the Atma Jaya hospital and the Atma Jaya funeral home occupy the Pluit Campus in North Jakarta.

The phrase “Atma Jaya” means a glorious (victorious/prosperous) spirit. A glorious spirit always gives encouragement to increase the quality of education. The academic excellence and the professional graduates are the eminent orientation.

Presently, Unika Atma Jaya has eight faculties with twenty one Sarjana (Bachelor’s Degree) program founded in different years: The Faculty of Economic and Business Administration and Communication were founded in 1960; the Faculty of Education and language and the Faculty of Engineering were in 1961; the Faculty of law was in 1965; the Faculty of Medicine was in 1967; the Faculty of Psychology was in 1992; and the latest one was the Faculty of Biotechnology in 2002. Atma Jaya also has seven Magister (Master’s Degree) programs: Magister Management (MM) and Magister in Applied English Linguistics (LTBI) in 1992; Magister in Professional Psychology in 2005; Magister in Biotechnology in 2011; Magister in Psychology; Magister in Law in 2012; and Magister in Mechanical Science in 2013, as well as one Doctoral program in Applied English Linguistics in 2002. 

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