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| The atmosphere of the opening of the ISS 2022 at the UMM dome theater (Photo: Yafi PR UMM) |
Hundreds of foreign students receiving Developing Countries Partnership (KNB) scholarships enlivened the International Student Summit (ISS), which was held at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). Held on November 28-30, ISS also presented national figures such as the Indonesian Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim. In addition, there is also Siti Sofia Sudarma as a senior diplomat for the Indonesian foreign ministry.
Interestingly, this time the ISS presents a series of exciting entertainment. Starting from the reog act, UMM marching band, traditional dance, and others. The participants also enlivened the event by bringing flags from each country.
Opening the ISS event, Nadiem Makarim assessed those foreign students studying in Indonesia must have learned valuable lessons while studying in Indonesia. It can be shared with their friends and relatives when they go home later.
Nadiem, as he is also known, said that his party was pushing for a significant transformation in higher education through Merdeka Learning Kampus Merdeka (MBKM). So, foreign students receiving KNB scholarships can also support the program.
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The Ministry of Education and Culture is also trying to break down the barriers that limit the creativity of lecturers and students. So, they can do activities outside the campus for three semesters. Whether cooperating with humanitarian organizations, industry, or educational institutions, both at home and abroad.
"There have been 420 thousand of academics who have joined. There are also thousands of educational collaborations with industry to create innovation, one of which was a business trip at the G20 some time ago. We also poured out 13 trillion for thousands of joint researches so that various solutions emerged," he concluded.
On the other hand, Sofia said that the KNB was a manifestation of the contribution of public diplomacy in education and culture. The KNB Scholarship has accepted 1681 foreign students since the program started. From 2006 to 2022. In its journey, this program also appointed the 24 best tertiary institutions to shelter KNB scholarship recipients while in Indonesia.
"Right now, we are gathering with friendly countries. After returning to their country of origin, we will also involve them in introducing Indonesian culture and language. The hope is that these foreign students will become a bridge between Indonesia and their country of origin," said the Indonesian Deputy Ambassador Seoul.
In line with Sofia, the Institutional Director of the Directorate General of Research and Technology Higher Education (Ditjen Diktiristek), Lukman expressed his happiness that this program could resume running after two years of absence due to the pandemic. This activity was attended by 185 foreign students from 46 countries receiving KNB scholarships.
"This year, we are reopening the KNB scholarship reception after being absent due to the pandemic. Hopefully, there will be many new countries competing and getting this scholarship. We hope you don't forget Indonesia and its diversity," said Lukman.
Meanwhile, Rector of UMM, Dr. Fauzan, M.Pd. explained that the White Campus had hosted the ISS twice. The first time it was held in 2015 and the second this year. As for one of the missions of the ISS is to bring together, not only the people but also the culture, culture, and language.
“Brothers come to Indonesia to learn a lot of Indonesian. One of the most effective ways is to find a partner to talk to. Whether it's friends, girlfriends, or friends of Indonesian people, that way, you will master the language more quickly," he said.
He hopes that the Indonesian language he has learned can become a medium of diplomacy in his home country. One of them is through stories of student experiences while in Indonesia. Fauzan also wants foreign students to be able to continue their studies in Indonesia so that they will be deeper into the knowledge they are studying. (cdr/syi/wil)
