Representatives of Universitas Indonesia (UI) from the Vocational Education Program visited Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU) to conduct monitoring and evaluation of the joint education program. According to the Director of the Vocational Education Program UI, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, the collaboration between Vocational Education UI and TMU which has been ongoing since 2019 includes several programs, namely student exchange, academic staff exchange, and research.
This collaboration is one of the efforts to develop a curriculum with international standards. “Through this collaboration, I hope that collaboration in the fields of research, teaching, and community service can continue to be developed, so that the benefits received by both parties can be in line with their respective goals,” said Padang.
The Vocational representatives who participated in the visit were the Head of the Applied Health Department, Dr. Nia Murniati, S.K.M., M.K.M.; lecturer of the Physiotherapy Study Program, Safrin Arifin, S.K.M., S.St., M.Sc.; and lecturer of the Occupational Therapy Study Program, Muhammad Hidayat Sahid, AMd.OT., S.K.M., M.Epid. The three of them were warmly welcomed by the Dean of The Graduate School of Human Health Sciences and The Faculty of Health Sciences, Yumi Nishimura, R.N., Ph.N. They discussed the programs implemented together, one of which was the summer course program. During 2023/2024, UI sent eleven students from the Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Hospital Administration Study Programs to take part in the summer course program at TMU. Not only to study, UI students had the opportunity to visit Eiju General Hospital and Taito Hospital.
In addition to the summer course program, the delegates also shared their experiences in organizing virtual learning at Vocational School UI and TMU. Currently, TMU has developed a learning application to support occupational therapy for stroke patients in a case-by-case manner. The application was designed by Reiko Miyamoto, Ph.D and the team as educational material for teachers and professionals who handle individual stroke cases. On this occasion, Fuminari Kaneko, PhD, PT, JSPO-AT from TMU explained several sophisticated tools and learning facilities owned by TMU.
After visiting TMU, the UI delegates also visited the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Tokyo to provide education on “Kiat Aktif Tanpa Low Back Pain” (Tips for Being Active Without Low Back Pain). The speaker, Safrin, explained everything from symptoms, and causes, to how to overcome and prevent low back pain (LBP).
“Some of the symptoms of LBP are pain or stiffness in the lower back area; difficulty standing upright, walking, or moving from standing to sitting; and muscle spasms and tightness in the lower back, pelvis, and hips. Sufferers also feel a stinging and burning pain, starting from the lower back to the back of the thigh or sometimes to the lower leg or foot,” said Safrin.
According to him, LBP can occur due to torn muscles or ligaments, disorders of the joint and bones, pinched nerves, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and tumors. LBP sufferers are advised to wear a corset, do physiotherapy, or undergo surgery if the body’s condition has experienced a decline in motor and sensory function of the lower limbs. “I suggest some LBP prevention exercises that are suitable for those over fifty years of age, namely cycling, weight lifting, pull-ups, push-ups, and squads. Of course, the exercises are done with proper warm-up and movement so as not to cause injury,” said Safrin.
Regarding education, Nuning Akhmadi, the wife of the Indonesian Ambassador in Tokyo, expressed her gratitude for the education provided by the UI delegation. She said, “I hope this visit will provide opportunities for wider cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower and the Education and Culture Attaché regarding the absorption of UI Vocational Physiotherapy graduates abroad, especially the absorption of graduates to work in Japan.”
