Semarang – The Independent Student Exchange Program (PMM) of the 4th Batch has officially met its conclusion. Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) as the host concluded this program by holding a farewell event on Thursday, July 18th, 2024. Students from various different regions showcase numerous Indonesian cultural heritages at the event.

The farewell event taking place in the auditorium located on the seventh floor of the H building was attended by 80 exchange students and various prominent figures at Udinus. On that occasion, Prof. Dr. Ir. Edi Noersasongko, M.Kom., the Chancellor of Udinus, opened the whole procession which would later be followed by a speech delivered by Dr. Ir. Dwi Eko Waluyo, M.M., the Person in Charge of this Student Exchange Program and the Head of the Partnership and International Affairs Bureau at Udinus.

During his opening speech, Prof. Edi Noersasongko expressed his utmost gratitude to all exchange students for choosing Udinus as their host university, as well as for completing their semester at Udinus. “During their time here at Udinus, students were introduced to various Javanese cultures and traditions. Through this program, exchange students are expected to grow their sense of nationalism," the chancellor uttered.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dwi Eko Waluyo reported that Udinus provided the Nusantara Module as a way for exchange students to be invested in various cultures, particularly within Semarang and Java. “We introduced various cultural aspects, including religious places, cuisines, and tourism in Semarang City. Hopefully, this cultural knowledge can be implemented in their hometowns,” he highlighted.

The Combination of Many Cultures

The farewell event started with a screening of videos showing the numerous activities of these exchange students for a semester. Those activities include Future Carrer Tree, The Beauty of Batik, Introduction to Gamelan, and various other activities. The farewell event then continued with performance arts where the exchange students showcased traditional dances from their respective regions.

One of the exchange students, Lusiana Marbus from Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, performed by wearing a kebaya dress with a traditional skirt known as Kamen. Lusiana claimed that she enjoyed the Independent Student Exchange Program hosted by Udinus. “Hopefully, this student exchange program will continue in the future. The program is very interesting for us, students from outer Java. For those who are still making up their minds about which host university to study at, you can all write Udinus on your lists,” she encouraged.

The Independent Exchange Student Program is a program initiated by the government through the Independent Campus Project (MBKM), which aims to introduce the beauty of diversity to students, as well as expand their academic worldview. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Humas Udinus)