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| Didik, the Deputy Regent of Malang, hands in the championship door prize to international students. (Photo: Yafi PR) |
The sound of angklungs with the Tanah Airku song (Translated: My Homeland) echoed in the hall of the Pendhapa of Malang Regency (Translated: Pendopo Kabupaten Malang). The performance of international students of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang enlivened the closing event of the International Student Summit 2022 on 29th November. The Deputy Regent of Malang, Drs Didik Gatot Subroto, M. H., also motivated the audience, delivered a speech, and closed the agenda at once, followed by hundreds of international students from 46 countries.
Didik, as he familiarly called, said that Malang Regency just commemorated its 1262nd anniversary. The situation naturally encourages his party to create and innovate to develop Malang. He also explained that Malang has a long coastline and exquisite beauty. The cities and mountains also are no less attractive.
“Hence, international students may invite their family, relatives, or friends to visit Malang and enjoy its beauty. Its agriculture and plantation products are also well. For example, coffee has been exported to various countries.”, he uttered.
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Didik expects students to be able to utilise opportunities besides studying. For example, they may link their business in their home country to Indonesia, especially Malang. He emphasises that investing their business in the land of Arema can surely be safe even for foreign investors. The investation fields vary; as a result, they may try to invest their enterprises in agriculture, farming, industry, tourism, etc.
The man who was an alumnus of UMM also argued, “From what you gained from the ISS event in UMM, I believe that you may be a pioneer to develop your respective countries by bringing peace despite many differences.”
The international students did poetry reading besides showing angklung performance. Then, the distinguished parties gave prizes to those who successfully won the championship in the contests in the ISS event at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang. The competitions included Indonesian folklore story-telling, vlogging, traditional games, and Malangan mask painting.
Dr Sidik Sunaryo, M. Si., M. Hum., on the other hand, encourages international students to feel the atmosphere and beauty of Malang. He interprets that the ISS event can give remarkable memory for international students, whether from the temperature, culture, tourist attraction, and the people’s friendliness. Sidik hopes that the international students can tell their perceived experience throughout the agenda to their family and friends when they return to their home country respectively.
He also encouraged the participants to yell the motto of Arema, “Greeting One Soul”. From his view, the slogan is one of the things associated with the Malang region. Sidik concluded, “We also express our appreciation to the Deputy Regent of Malang to have welcomed, supported, and facilitated the participants of the ISS event of UMM well.” (imh/wil)
