Singaraja- Ganesha University of Education (Undiksha) discussed collaboration with Iwate University, Japan, Friday (13/9/2019). One of the programs initiated is related to efforts to increase students’ mastery of Japanese so that later they will become more professional.
Iwate University is represented by Nakajima, who handles the internationalization program. He explained that his university had collaborated with universities abroad. It is hoped that the same thing can happen with Undiksha in North Bali. A Japanese language education program is offered for students for a minimum of three months. “Undiksha has this study program. So we want to have cooperation. Students here can study there,” he said.
To strengthen this collaboration, he also invited Undiksha leaders to come directly to his university. What is being done is not only limited to discussing in more detail the form of collaboration that will be forged but also being able to see the teaching and learning process, learning facilities, including student residences. “We facilitate departure for two people for four days and three nights. There you can see the condition of the campus,” he said.
The collaboration between the University of Iwate and the Undiksha Japanese Language Education Study Program has actually been going on for five years. However, the program is more on social activities and saving the environment. In the future, it is hoped that there will be more collaborations in order to improve the quality of students and higher education institutions. “We also have a number of faculties. However, we want to focus more on Japanese language education. Because there has been cooperation before. We have several programs for that,” he added.
Vice Chancellor I Undiksha, Dr. Gede Rasben Dantes, S.T., M.TI., responded positively to this collaboration because it was able to support the internationalization program at home which was launched in 2019. Therefore, his party will discuss this further, including agreeing to attend Iwate University. “Of course, this collaboration is very good for Undiksha,” he said.
According to him, students participating in the program will not only have the opportunity to hone their communication skills in Japanese with native speakers. But also directly learn about the culture. “Learning a language makes us not only understand language. But also culture,” he said.
A number of Japanese Language Education Study Program students have already joined the program in Japan. Like the student exchange at Ohkagakuen University. Students who got the opportunity were Ni Nyoman Putri Noviyanthi and Ni Luh Eka Gitasari. In addition, there are also internships in hotels. Most recently, the departure took place on September 15 targeting the Vessel Hotel in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The students are Anak Agung Ayu Diah Padmadewi, Ida Ayu Widya Purwani, and Erina Dewanti Putri. They follow the program for six months. “This will provide experience for students. We want this to be shared with the public. That Japanese Language Education students go to Japan every year,” he concluded.
Student, Putri Novayanthi, revealed that her participation in the program had been her wish for a long time. According to him, it is a way to add insight, especially in the field of education applied in Japan, which is very different from Indonesia. “This wish has been around for a long time. Education in Japan is good. I want to know more about it,” she said.
In addition to universities in Japan, Undiksha has collaborated with a number of universities in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Finally, discussions were also held with Ming Chi University of Technology, Taiwan. The cooperation is not only student exchange but also joint research. (hms)
