A faculty member at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) participated in an international community service program entitled ‘University Teacher Training Program Thaksin University.’ It involved faculty members and students from various universities, including a lecturer from the Humanities Faculty at Udinus, Pipiet Furisari, S.S., M.Pd.
The event consisted of a sharing session involving 25 participants. In addition to participants, the session also involved leaders, faculty members, and students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Thaksin University.
The University Teacher Training Program was held by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Thaksin University. On that occasion, all participants were encouraged to brainstorm their ideas to improve the education sector using the advanced pedagogy methods, and responsive strategies toward their respective cultures.
“This program aimed to create a learning space centered around students to appreciate the integrity of cultural differences. Students were also encouraged to implement the strategy approach that is currently relevant to the educational context in their respective countries,” she uttered.
In addition to academic activities, Pipiet added that the Culture Exchange session was also done directly by visiting the Folklore Museum at the Institute for Southern Thai Studies Thaksin University. Following that, they would also visit industrial centers, the old town, and other traditional locations. These visits were conducted amidst the heavy rain and flood.
“Rainfall at various locations did hinder us to some extent, however, we were still determined to finish the program. This is because it was a rare opportunity to improve our skills in teaching students of various cultural backgrounds, as well as our competence as a global lecturer,” Pipet, a lecturer in the Japanese Literature Department at Udinus, said.
As a teaching professional herself, Pipiet admitted that she was enthusiastic about engaging in various programs to further hone her knowledge, pedagogy, and understanding of other cultures. Through these programs, Pipiet is also determined to improve her competence in terms of academics, teaching, research collaborations, and cross cultural understanding.
“Hopefully, my fellow lecturers at Udinus will be more intrigued in participating in international programs such as this. This is because international programs will allow them to expand their connections to other countries, as well as benefit their institutions and country,” she concluded. (Humas Udinus/Haris. Foto: Dok. Pribadi)
