Unesa.ac.id. , SURABAYA—Alda Setyawati, student of the Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) was selected as the sole delegate from Surabaya State University to undergo a student exchange program to three countries; Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
The woman who is familiarly called Alda is one of 50 Indonesian delegates who come from students, pupils and the general public in the exchange program which will take place from 4-13 February 2024.
Alda shared his experiences while exploring these three countries. The activity began with a visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Singapore. There, Alda and other Indonesian delegates gained a lot of international insight into the world of education and the competency demands of this century.
The theme of the discussion guided by the Coordinator of the Social and Cultural Information Function of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, Juviano, was 'Work Horses, Use Horses: Learning from Singapore for Indonesia'. "This discussion emphasizes the importance of education for the Indonesian people, especially those in Singapore, which is the main topic discussed," he said.
Apart from that, the delegates were also invited to get to know Singaporean culture more closely and visit several tourist attractions full of historical value such as Garden by The Bay, Universal Studio Singapore, Sultan Mosque, Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands, and Spectra Laser Show.
After undergoing a series of activities in Singapore, Alda and his entourage continued their journey to Malaysia. There, they participated in social service activities and teaching assistance with the theme "A Day as a Cikgu" in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, specifically at the PPWNI School.
This is the first experience for Alda to interact with students who are the children of Indonesian migrant workers or migrants working in Malaysia. "I saw enthusiasm for learning from the students there. The learning process uses Indonesian as the main language," he said.
From that experience, Alda felt that even though the migrants lived abroad, they still respected their native language, Indonesian. That is what he thinks needs to be strengthened and provided to Indonesian migrant worker students there, apart from the Indonesian language, also the cultural values and character of their nation.
Alda also feels the strong presence of the Indonesian language abroad in Thailand. There, there is an Indonesian language department, especially at Fatoni University, Thailand. This program is offered to prospective students without exception.
"It is not uncommon for native Thais to choose to learn Indonesian, which not only involves learning the language, but also Indonesian culture. This makes me feel proud," he said.
Alda's participation as a delegate from the UNESA Faculty of Languages and Arts is a concrete manifestation of his commitment to increasing recognition of UNESA and the Indonesian nation in general at the Asian level. []
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Manuscript: Faculty of Languages and Arts News
Curator: @zam*
Photo: Alda Setyawati Documentation.
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