As part of Prof. Umesh Sharma’s visit from Monash University, Australia, to the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) at Universitas Brawijaya (UB), a discussion and workshop on inclusive education were held in the Meeting Room of FCS Building B on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. This activity was organized by the Department of Language Education FCS running on Visiting Professor Grant through the EQUITY Program by the UB World Class University Team.

Inclusive education is a system that provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to receive an education equivalent to others. Its goal is to create an educational environment that values diversity and is non-discriminatory for all students.

The main purpose and focus of this event were to evaluate and enhance inclusive education at FCS UB, so the outcomes of this discussion could be applied to create a more disability-friendly learning environment.

Much like the agenda of the previous day’s event, by 9:00 AM, the Meeting Room of FCS Building B was bustling with several FCS UB lecturers, the Dean’s Board, and Prof. Umesh Sharma, all ready to participate. After making necessary preparations, the event was officially opened by the MC.

To start the discussion, Prof. Umesh asked FCS UB representatives to describe the current state of inclusive education at FCS UB. Dr. Aji Setyanto, S.S., M.Litt., Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Entrepreneurship, explained the ongoing inclusive education efforts at FCS UB, along with some related challenges.

After listening to the explanations and identifying existing issues, Prof. Umesh stated that he would strive to help address the challenges of inclusive education at FCS UB. He further suggested that enhancing inclusivity and equity requires increased resources and policies from both the faculty and the university to support inclusive education.

“What needs to be done now is to strengthen our role in enhancing inclusive education, and strong policies are also needed to support this,” he explained.

After offering several solutions, the discussion continued with questions directed at Prof. Umesh regarding the topics discussed. During this session, Prof. Umesh provided input and suggestions based on his personal experiences at Monash University related to inclusivity and equity on campus.

As there were no further topics to discuss, Prof. Umesh expressed his appreciation for the Dean of FCS UB before concluding and closing the discussion session.

“You are a great Dean, a remarkable one indeed, I can say that now,” he remarked succinctly. [trans.adhyaksa/ed.al/vidya/PR FCS]