Universitas Indonesia (UI) students who are awardees of the 2024 Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program received a briefing for study abroad preparation. The debriefing, which was held on Monday (20/5), at the Balai Sidang UI Depok Campus, was attended by more than 300 students. This agenda aims to prepare students to adapt and develop themselves in a new environment.
Head of the UI Office of International Affairs, drg. Baiduri Widanarko, M.K.K.K., Ph.D., said this preparation is important because students will face different cultures and environments. According to him, the cultural diversity in Indonesia has trained students’ tolerance. “We come from different backgrounds. This diversity becomes our strength, especially in facing challenges in the academic and non-academic fields. Therefore, this briefing is expected to help students quickly adapt to the learning system and ways of communicating in other countries,” he said.
In the briefing, Elok Dianike Malay, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist, one of the speakers, provided guidance on how to adapt to a new environment while maintaining Indonesian norms. She explained the concept of “The Iceberg Model of Culture” which describes culture as an iceberg, where what appears on the surface is only a small part, while what is hidden is so big.
Therefore, to interact with new cultures, students need to pay attention to several adaptation models, including integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization. “The integration approach is an important one. The quotation ‘Where the earth stands, there the sky is upheld’ is a good approach. Students enjoy being part of the community there, but when they return to Indonesia, they still hold the good values that already exist,” said Elok.
Furthermore, the IISMA awardee students were provided with academic information delivered by the Head of the UI Center for Independent Learning (CIL), F. Astha Ekadiyanto, S.T., M.Sc., and the UI Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Badrul Munir, S.T., M.Eng.Sc. According to Astha, UI students who become IISMA awardees must take advantage of this great opportunity to add to their scientific insights and skills.
“IISMA is a product of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) which requires a lot of money, so awardees are responsible for making the best use of this opportunity. In addition, it is important for awardees to maintain their behavior while participating in this program. You are students who are expected to have a broad impact. As UI students, present UI’s name well in the international arena,” Astha said.
UI through the Directorate of Student Affairs (Dirmawa) also provides support for students who will participate in the IISMA program. In the IISMA 2024 registration process, the number of applicants reached 303 students. Of these, UI provided English test assistance to 276 students. Dr. Badrul Munir said, “This is our commitment to ensure students are linguistically prepared before they go abroad. Good English skills are the key to success in participating in international programs such as IISMA.”
He reminded students to maintain communication with Dirmawa during the program abroad. “Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any problems or if you need help. We are here to support you,” said Dr. Badrul Munir.
On that occasion, the IISMA UI 2023 awardees also held a sharing session about their experiences while studying in other countries. They are Alexandria Samantha Nicole (University of Glasgow), Kafka Aisyah Triny (Pompeu Fabra University), and Eldymas Pradana Putra Yasin (University of Pecs). With this briefing, the IISMA 2024 scholarship recipients are expected to undergo the program well, bring the name of UI, and gain valuable experience and knowledge in the destination countries.
