 |
| H.E. Denny Abdi, Indonesian Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, explained the view of Indonesia-Vietnam bilateral relations. (Photo: Istrimewah) |
The University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) is actively involved. In building bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and other countries. One of them is through the language aspect. Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) UMM took a role by holding a symposium on bilateral relations between Indonesia and Vietnam through BIPA learning on Friday (23/7). Also in attendance were H.E. Denny Abdi, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Musa Derek Sairwona as the acting consulate general of the Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. The event was held online through Zoom and the UMM BIPA Youtube channel.
Opening the event, Dr. Sidik Sunaryo, S.H., M.Sc., M. Hum. As Deputy Chancellor IV of UMM said, this symposium was part of a long series of internationalization of the White Campus. This effort is further strengthened to celebrate UMM's Anniversary which will establish itself as a world-class campus with the spirit of international solidarity. “This cooperation is certainly not only limited to routine activities. But it is also able to bring emotional feelings closer between citizens of the two countries," he explained.
Sidik, his nickname, hopes that this event can give birth to intelligent and advanced ideas. Until finally, it can bring empathy and togetherness between the two countries. Especially to encourage the birth of efforts in dealing with situations that are not easy as it is today.
On the same occasion, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E Denny Abdi started his speech by telling the similarities between the two countries. Start from the adjacent independence date to the development concept which is quite similar. "So it is not surprising that the founding fathers of the two countries are quite close, between Soekarno and Ho Chi Minh. Because they both have the same spirit," he said.
In addition to the closeness in the economic field, Indonesia and Vietnam also have good relations in political, social, and even cultural aspects. So Denny said that the BIPA program was the mainstay of the agenda for the Indonesian Embassy and the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. According to him, the response of Vietnamese people to learn Indonesian is quite high. However, he also wants Indonesians to do the same, learn Vietnamese so that there is a two-way approach.
Furthermore, Denny said that the closeness that was built would not stop at the language aspect. However, it continues to cooperate in various aspects. “Vietnam can be Indonesia's strategic partner because it can become an engine of growth in ASEAN. In addition, the two countries will also be able to contribute in terms of peace and security. So, language can be used as a glue for the two," he concluded.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Ph.D who was appointed as the main speaker explained the prospect of Indonesian in Ho Chi Minh City. It starts by explaining that the government has issued a policy for its people to master a foreign language other than English. One of them is Indonesian. “Even in recent years, Indonesia has entered several universities. Call it the Vietnam National University and the Open University," he said.
He also had time to analyze the development of Indonesia in Vietnam using SWOT. The first thing he explained was the power of the Indonesian language. According to him, bilateral relations between the two countries have increased public interest. In addition, the facility assistance from the Consulate General also facilitates the learning of the Indonesian language and culture. Coupled with the assistance of teachers sent by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) RI and several universities in Indonesia.
Even so, he also revealed his weakness, namely the relatively few teaching staff. Moreover, limited teaching materials make learning this language quite difficult. However, he believes there is a pretty good opportunity for Indonesian. This can not be separated from the many scholarships provided by the Indonesian government for Vietnamese citizens. Even with the opportunity for those who can work in foreign companies.
“But there are still some challenges for its development. Many companies do not know that there are Vietnamese citizens who can speak Indonesian. Many Vietnamese people are rethinking the reason for learning this language,” said the deputy dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Social Sciences & Humanities Vietnam.
.jpeg)
