February, 2024 – Campus Asia is an international collaboration between six universities in Asia to foster inclusive minds. The consortium universities are the Beijing Normal University (BNU), China, Changchun University (CU), China, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), South Korea, Hiroshima University (HU), Japan, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Indonesia, and Kasetsart University (KU), Thailand. This program implements four exchange programs, including a COIL-type Collaborative Education Program for 1-2 months (P1), a Short-term Study Abroad Program for 1-2 weeks (P2), summer school titled “Inclusive Asia” for a week (P3), and Semester Exchange Program (P4).
CampusAsia Program returns to Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia for the third time with the title “Campus Asia + Start” and with the central theme of “Learning Diversity in Unity for 21st Century Inclusive Society”. This program runs from February 18th to February 25th, 2024.
A total of 12 students were dispatched to UPI, with one student from BNU, three students from HUFS, and eight students from HU. The (P2) Short-term Study Abroad Program lasts for a week, during which they receive lectures covering diversity and inclusivity, language and cultural aspects, experiential learning, and opportunities for student exchange.
On February 18th, the opening ceremony was conducted to welcome the participants. Professor Ahmad Bukhori Muslim, Ph.D., Director of the Directorate of International Affairs, delivered a speech on behalf of UPI’s rector. This was followed by the presentation of E-COIL certificates to the participants.
Over the week, the participants engaged in diverse courses such as “Multicultural and the History of Religion”. They explored cultural and religious sites, including the Cathedral, Al-Irsyad Satya Islamic School, and Vihara Vimala Dharma Temples. Additional activities included visits to Kampung Toleransi, enjoying Bandung Street Food, and experiencing the Cultural Angklung Udjo Performance. They also conducted a campus visit, including Masjid Al-Furqon, to observe the Friday prayer. These activities provided them with valuable insights into how the multicultural and religious differences in Indonesia made us united as one.
The HU coordinator thanked UPI for the opportunity and for being very welcoming towards them. He expressed his interest in wayang in Saung Udjo which has allowed him to enrich his understanding of Indonesian culture.
The participants were also very excited throughout this program, saying that they discovered new things that differed from their home countries. This experience sparked inspiration in them, fueling their enthusiasm to further explore the global concept of unity in diversity. Yuta, one of the students from Hiroshima University said “Was real good!! I was surprised that there is a mosque at UPI (because) in Japan we don’t have much. I studied a lot of Bahasa Indonesia words. In Indonesia it is common to have one religion, this is new knowledge for me.”
Additionally, “This program gave me an occasion about my mind. The countries I visited are quite different from Japan and I thought “difference is normal.” Before I took this program, I thought normal life was the greatest, and I am not a normal person so I thought that I had to change my mind. But it is not. I’m strange compared to other Japanese people and that’s great and beautiful. I made new friends and gained new experiences from this program. I think they changed my mind!” Said Nanaka who is also a student of Hiroshima University.
As Campus Asia makes its third return, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia shows its dedication to promoting meaningful cultural exchanges and nurturing an inclusive society in Asia. With optimism, we look forward to the continuation of this program to further enhance cultural connections among countries.