Indonesia
The warm atmosphere in the Meeting Room on the 6th floor of Building A at the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) Universitas Brawijaya (UB) was palpable, thanks to the interaction between FCS UB lecturers and students from Walailak University (WU). The six students—Sofia Witchisamon, Panpasa Bunrod, Jiramet Maneekul, Musofar Daoh, Thitiwat Sittipat, and Teerada Kampeerichaya—participated in a student exchange program resulting from the collaboration between FCS UB and Walailak University.
For two weeks, they engaged in various activities at FCS UB, including learning Indonesian, attending several classes, and exploring natural and historical sites.
As their time in Indonesia came to an end, FCS UB held a farewell event for them before they returned to their home country. The event, also attended by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and the Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Student Entrepreneurship of FCS UB, took place on Friday (5/3/2024).
The event began with remarks from Dr. Aji Setyanto, S.S., M.Litt., Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Student Entrepreneurship. He opened his speech with a friendly conversation with the students, sharing laughs about their new experiences in Indonesia.
“I think a short experience can make you feel happy to be in Indonesia. We hope that one day you can come back to UB for a longer period of time. But at least, you already know the beauty of Malang and the delicious meatballs,” joked Aji Setyanto.
He also expressed his apologies and gratitude on behalf of FCS and UB.
“We, from UB, apologize for any inconvenience in the way we welcomed you. I would like to thank the students of Walailak University for coming, and also thank the team that helped organize this program. Once again, I hope we can meet again next time,” he concluded.
Following Dr. Aji Setyanto’s remarks, the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Sahiruddin, Ph.D., spoke.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you very much. We’re happy to have had you here for two weeks. We hope to see you again. We tried our best to make you feel welcomed here, but of course, there are shortcomings here and there. We apologize for that. Lastly, our door is always open for you. Please come here whenever you want,” said Sahiruddin.
He also shared information about full scholarships from UB for international students and discussed potential future collaborations with WU.
Next, it was the WU students’ turn to share their experiences. Musofar Daoh, also known as Fuse, represented his friends.
“First of all, I would like to thank you for welcoming us so well. The moments we experienced at UB were unforgettable. But unfortunately, it’s time to go back,” said Fuse.
“Thank you to Ms. Made, Mr. Rozin, and our friends here for treating us so well. Not to mention, to all the lecturers who have allowed us to join their classes, we thank you very much. I hope the world will bring us together again,” he concluded.
The farewell event ended with a group photo session and the exchange of souvenirs from FCS UB. [acl/dts/Humas FIB]