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| Juda's portrait, as the best graduate of UMM period II 2022 (Photo: Istimewah) |
When he set foot at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) to study, Rizky Juda Putra Hidayat never thought his move would take him to Europe. The 104th best graduate of UMM for the second period explained that being selected for the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program was an unforgettable experience.
He had various achievements and experiences during his time as a student. Now, Juda, his nickname, has also managed to get the title of the best graduate of UMM White Campus. All of this was achieved thanks to his hard work, support from family and friends, and guidance from UMM lecturers.
Regarding his international experience, Juda said that the registration process for the IISMA program was quite tricky. The registration system itself consists of two selections. The first is the selection from the campus through the International Relations Office (IRO) at UMM. Furthermore, there is a selection from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology (Diktiristek).
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"The selection itself includes file selection and interviews. One of the difficulties I faced was that my Test of Academic English Proficiency (TAEP) could not be used. Therefore I have to test again online using the Duolingo English test. Apart from having to use dollars for payment, the online test is quite complicated," he said.
Another difficulty comes after the selection stage is passed. Juda said that the IISMA he was participating in was the first batch. Therefore, there are still many significant shortcomings in the announcement of selected participants. But fortunately, Juna managed to qualify to represent UMM and went to Middle East Technical University Ankara, Turkey, to study.
"I am very proud because I can represent UMM in this program. After returning from Turkey, I also became a mentor for fellow students who wanted to get a variety of programs. Especially this IISMA," said the Tangerang-born graduate.
Juda shared that he had many experiences during the IISMA program. Among them can know and get to know the culture of other countries better. One of the foreign habits that he encountered in Turkey was the way men parted ways. In Indonesia, when going to separate, usually only do a handshake. But in Turkey, it is generally done by sticking the right and left cheeks.
“Another uniqueness is in food; breakfast in Turkey is very little because they only eat eggs, bread, and tea. Although some cultures are not common, I like Turkish culture, especially when addressing someone. Everyone on campus will be called hocam, which means teacher. So whatever the job, be it lecturers, employees, and students, they will be considered the same,” said Juda.
Apart from being active in international activities, Juda is also active in intra-campus organizations such as student associations of majors. Even with the community that discusses and learns about essay writing. “I have been through a lot during my studies, and I am proud of what I have achieved. I advised other UMM students to stay strong and enthusiastic about studying. The process we are going through will determine what we will be like in the future,” he concluded. (cdr/syi/wil)
