The webinar was opened directly by the Vice Dean for Academic, Research, and Student Affairs FISIP UNS, Dra. Prahastiwi Utari, M.Si, Ph.D. In her remarks, Dr. Utari said that the event was a valuable and useful opportunity because FISIP UNS students can get detailed information regarding education in Malaysia if they plan for further study in this country.

During the event, FISIP UNS students received extensive material from Ms. Haryanty regarding the governance structure and politics in Malaysia, as well as tourism aspects that currently become Malaysia’s priorities. Furthermore, Ms. Haryanty said that Indonesia is one of the most important market shares in Malaysian tourism due to its large population. According to her, there are several reasons why Indonesians love visiting Malaysia during vacation. The first is because the two countries are adjacent geographically, which facilitates accessibility. Secondly, similarities in cultural clusters between Indonesia and Malaysia lead to a minimal ‘lag’ in terms of culture and daily life. It is not surprising that tourists from Indonesia choose Malaysia as a tourism destination when traveling abroad.

“The two countries have identical language since it is both rooted in Malay, which makes tourists or expatriates from both countries do not experience many obstacles,” explained Ms. Haryanty. She also added that the exchange rates between the two countries were not significantly different. This means that the currency value is more affordable for Indonesian and Malaysian people who want to travel to either country.

Following Ms. Haryanty’s presentation, Mr. Mohd. Mubarak bin Shamsuddin explained why Malaysia could be an alternative for UNS FISIP students who want to continue their studies. First, he considers Malaysia to have a world-class quality of higher education. This claim is proved by the many universities in Malaysia listed in the QS Top 100 Universities list. “There is Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM),” Mr. Mohd. Mubarak bin Shamsuddin.

Another reason was the cost of education in Malaysia is considered “more friendly” for Indonesian students who want to pursue further studies abroad. He explained that Malaysia has several scholarship schemes available to students from Indonesia. Based on this reason, he considers Malaysia is favorable in terms of education costs. Concluding his presentation, he encouraged FISIP UNS students to stay enthusiastic about continuing their studies in Malaysia since they could apply for a scholarship from the Malaysian Government. For this reason, he encourages students to periodically check the Malaysian Government’s official website or social media to find out the schedule, requirements, and registration mechanism for the scholarships. Humas UNS

Reporter: Y.C.A. Sanjaya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti

The post Malaysian Embassy Reveals Further Study “Investment” in Malaysia to UNS Students appeared first on Universitas Sebelas Maret.

The Seration Series is one of the UNS BEM work programs to support UNS objectives to be a World Class University (WCU). This activity focuses on exploring various WCU indicators through a study visit to global WCU universities. Additionally, the Seration Series will also cover discussions with inter-university Student Activity Units (UKM).

During this visit, the Vice President of BEM UNS, Abdullah Alhaddad, stated that he was thrilled to attend this event. “It is an honor for us to be able to host a study visit with UPM. Our gratitude went to the Directorate of Partnership, Development, and Internationalization UNS for supporting this event,” Abdullah said.

Furthermore, Abdullah hopes that the Seration Series can be beneficial to collect recommendations on essential points to encourage UNS in achieving WCU. Moreover, the Seration Series can also increase students’ knowledge and insight on the standard of international education quality. Students can also strengthen networking with the global academic world.

This event received special attention and support from UNS. The support was proved with the presence of the Vice-Rector for Planning, Partnership, Business, and Information Affairs UNS, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sajidan, M.Si., in the online event. Prof. Sajidan said that UPM is one of the global universities in the WCU category with stable performance and achievements. Therefore, UNS wants to learn from UPM to achieve WCU status immediately.

Additionally, Prof. Sajidan also places great emphasis on the collaboration established between the two universities. Collaboration is considered an essential aspect in today’s academic era. “Collaboration with overseas universities is very important to help students experience international standards. This activity should be beneficial for all parties, both UNS and UPM,” said Prof. Sajidan.

This visit was welcomed directly by the UPM International Center Steering Committee, Prof. Ir. Dr. Hasfalina Che Man. Prof. Hasfalina conveyed an overview of the UPM profile, including the strategies implemented by UPM during the pandemic. After the university introduction, the event is continued with a focus group discussion. Participants are divided into three breakout rooms according to a specific category: buddies, internationalization, and strategic plans. Each breakout room is attended by a combination of UNS and UPM students to discuss the designated topic in their respective rooms. Humas UNS

Reporter: Ida Fitriyah
Editor: Dwi Hastuti

The post BEM UNS Holds Virtual Study Visit to Universiti Putra Malaysia appeared first on Universitas Sebelas Maret.