UNAIR NEWS – One of the students of Indonesian Language and Literature Program, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Airlangga is undergoing an exchange program in South Korea. He is Muhammad Fuad Izzatul Fikri a class of 2017 student.
Fuad left for South Korea in August 2020 to Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, and he was the only delegation from Universitas Airlangga in Gingseng country.
“South Korea often becomes a reference for popular culture researchers. It is an interesting academic reason for my departure for the exchange program,” he said on Friday, January 8, 2021.
The Korean education system, continued Fuad, is the embodiment of the latest education system which is very neat, the condition of the society is supportive, and teachers provide constructive comments. In addition, the Korean culture, which in fact still feels foreign to him, makes Fuad be responsive in adapting.
In fact, he admitted that he had to be extra careful in choosing food to be consumed by paying attention to its halal certification. In South Korea, Fuad admitted that he began to realize the importance of building international networks and getting the best possible international exposure.
Furthermore, Fuad admitted that he had studied the country’s educational, social, political and cultural climate. The interesting thing is the people’s efforts to adapt to every condition, especially the snowy winter.
“If you look at the photos, snow is good and aesthetic. However, lately there has been a lot of news about accidents caused by snow. So, I learned that aesthetics can also be dangerous, so I have to be careful,” said the gold medalist of 2020 PIMNAS.
Fuad admitted that the temperature in Jeonju had reached minus 20 degrees. And, being a tropical person, he was overwhelmed and shocked. So, while waiting for the schedule to return to Indonesia, Fuad decided to move to Busan, considering that Busan’s temperature is relatively warmer than Jeonju.
It was right in Busan that Fuad found something unique. He encountered typical dialect of native Busan people called satori. In Korean, satori is interesting to hear, especially from local Busan residents. From this experience, Fuad learned to compare the national dialect of South Korea with regional dialects.
“Having an exchange program in a country with different cultures demands mental readiness to adapt. Moreover, a willingness to unite and understand the culture of local community will be the key to making it easier to survive, “he added.
For students who are interested in participating in the exchange program, Fuad advised students to prepare as well as possible because, being an exchange student is really challenging. Furthermore, an understanding of the lifestyle and culture of the destination country is required. (*)
Author: Muhammad Wildan S
Editor: Feri Fenoria
