Indonesia University of Education (UPI) held a socialization event for the Merdeka Student Exchange Program (PMM) Class of 2023, organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture as a student mobility program for one semester. The program aims to provide students from both public and private universities in Indonesia with the opportunity to strengthen national unity by experiencing different regions and cultures. The socialization event was held on Wednesday (13/04/2023) at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education (FPMIPA), UPI Bandung.
The Merdeka Student Exchange Program aims to enhance students’ ability to apply national insight, increase their understanding of diversity, develop a culture of mutual understanding, and broaden their academic knowledge to strengthen national unity. The program will be carried out in stages, starting from the registration period on March 29 to June 2, 2023, with 204 recipient universities and a target of 15,184 student participants. UPI Rector, Prof. Dr. M. Solehuddin, M.Pd., M.A., stated that “The Merdeka Student Exchange Program is a beneficial program for student development to gain experiences not only from studying at UPI, but also from learning in other places. Additionally, the program can strengthen the brotherhood among fellow Indonesians and enrich students’ insight into different regions in Indonesia. Therefore, I highly encourage students to participate in this program to the best of their abilities,” said Solehuddin.
“Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia held a socialization event for the Merdeka Student Exchange Program (PMM) Batch Three 2023, which is organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture as a student mobility program for one semester. This program aims to provide students from public and private universities across Indonesia with the opportunity to strengthen national unity through gaining experiences. The socialization was held at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education (FPMIPA) at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) in Bandung on Wednesday (13/04/2023).
The Merdeka Student Exchange Program is intended to enhance the ability to apply national insight, increase understanding of diversity, develop attitudes of mutual understanding, expand academic knowledge, and strengthen national unity. The program will be implemented in stages, starting with registration from March 29 to June 2, 2023, with 204 receiving universities and a target of 15,184 student participants. The Rector of UPI, Prof. Dr. M. Solehuddin, M.Pd., M.A. stated that “the Merdeka Student Exchange Program is a beneficial program for student development, allowing them to gain experience not only from studying at UPI, but also from other places. Additionally, the program can strengthen the brotherhood and sisterhood of the nation, enrich students’ insights into regions throughout Indonesia. Therefore, I strongly encourage students to participate in this program to the best of their ability,” said Solehuddin.
“In order to participate in the Merdeka Student Exchange Program, there are several requirements that must be met, including being a student in semester 3, 5, or 7 with a minimum GPA of 2.8. In addition, supplementary documents are required, such as a health certificate, proof of vaccination, and a SKTM letter using the provided template,” said Priska Eriani, a PMM team member.
Also present were alumni from the second batch of the Merdeka Student Exchange Program, who shared their experiences during the program. “Participating in this program allowed us to gain not only knowledge but also wider experiences, expand our network of friends, and conduct social activities such as visiting orphanages and exploring historical sites,” said Doni Rafriyana, an alumni from the second batch.
For students who will participate in the Merdeka Student Exchange Program, tips that can be applied include carefully checking the necessary administrative documents for registration and striving to do their best, according to Raudhatul Jannah, also an alumni from the second batch.
The messages that can be conveyed to participants of the Merdeka Student Exchange Program are to respect the culture, traditions, and people of the places where the program will be held.”