In the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (Undiksha) held an International Virtual Summer School (IVSS) 2021 to fill the semester break. This event was held on July 26th to July 30th 2021. IVSS is an educational program that offers academic programs consisting of general lectures and special lectures with the theme “Education, Community Empowerment, and Microeconomics in a Post COVID-19 World” and it was followed by 700 participants from Belgium, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Nice Maylani Asril, S, Psi.,M.Psi., Ph.D., the head committee of the IVSS, said that the goal of this activity was to increase student involvement in freedom to learn activities or as knows as Merdeka Belajar.“In addition to supporting Undiksha’s target to become an International Reputable University on Education and Leadership, IVSS is also an event to increase the quantity and quality of students in Merdeka Belajar program,” she said.
Nice explained that in this program participants are required to take 32 hours of learning process. “In 5 days of this activity, participants are required to attend 32 hours of learning, consisting of 4 general courses for 12 hours and 8 specific courses according to the participant’s field of study for 20 hours,” she said. She added that apart from gaining new knowledge, participants also received 2 credits from IVSS. “In IVSS, we will get new knowledge from 71 speakers from 8 different countries and of course participants can get 2 credits in the semester credit system in Indonesia or 4 credits in the European credit transfer system,” she said.
Undiksha Chancellor, Prof. Dr. I Nyoman Jampel, M.Pd., in his speech expressed his support for IVSS. He was expecting the students can fill their leisure time in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic with productive activities, one of which is through the IVSS. “We must not get caught up in the negative impact of COVID-19. Instead, I believe that we should fill our time with productive activities. Through IVSS, we want to provide opportunities for participants to interact with students from various backgrounds and cultures, as well as establishing friendships and networks that span the world,” he said.
In addition, the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Cooperation Affairs, Dr. Gede Rasben Dantes, S.T., M.TI. revealed that in the IVSS, Balinese culture will be introduced to the participants. “In addition to providing intensive and high-quality general and specific lectures, IVSS will introduce a unique Balinese culture, one of which is Prasi Art which will be explained by one of Undiksha’s Lecturers, Wayan Sudiarta,” he said.
IVSS 2021 presented 4 speakers for general lectures, namely Prof. Dr. I Gusti Putu Suryadarma (State University of Yogyakarta), Dr. Hananto Prakoso (Transportation Attache, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington D.C.), I A P Riyastini, M.Si, M.Env. (Head of Marine Resources Supervision, Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Bali Province), and I Wayan Sudiarta, S.Pd., M.Sc. (Undiksha). Meanwhile, specific lectures are divided into 7 tracks, namely Engineering and Vocational, Sports and Health, Law and Social Sciences, Language and Arts, Mathematics and Natural Science, Educational Sciences, Economics and Medicine. (hms)
