UNAIR NEWS – Alinea Onasis has always been interested in the East Asian region’s culture, entertainment, and political aspects. Therefore, studying at Korea University becomes meaningful for the International Relations (HI) student from the Class of 2019. The student exchange program is provided by the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA). The IISMA program is initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia.
The editorial team had the opportunity to interview her on Friday, October 22, 2021. Alin said that the opportunity to study at Korea University would be very helpful for her core study in International Relations. Moreover, Korea University has managed to achieve the QS 100 WCU ranking. Besides, Alin chose Korea University as the host university because it offers courses aligned with Alin’s specialization.
“In college, I try to focus my core study on the East Asian region such as Japan and South Korea. One of the courses is the South Korean Society, Culture, and Politics (MBP). Hopefully, at this university, I can be more directly exposed to South Korean culture and studies,” said the student.
Some of the courses that will be taken at Korea University are more or less related to self-development and exploration of interests. As mentioned by Alin, the courses are Emotional and Stress Management, Interpersonal Communication, and International Negotiation. She also said that when she arrives in the Ginseng Country, Alin is also required to organize an activity to introduce Indonesian culture.
Unfortunately, Alin has not been able to carry out the student exchange because South Korea is still closing its borders to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, she may only set foot at Korea University in early 2022.
“More or less, I will study there for 4 months, from February to June 2022. If it hadn’t been postponed, I could have gone last month. However, South Korea closed its borders before we applied for VISA,” said the Vice Director of Hope Helps UNAIR.
Finally, Alin expressed her enthusiasm to study at a well-known university, as she will gain new experiences and networks at the international level. She also wanted to express her gratitude to the Government of Indonesia for initiating the IISMA 2021 program.
“In the future, I hope that the dissemination of IISMA can be done massively since the next year’s target is the mobilization of 10 thousand students. Of course, the registration period must be extended, more than just two weeks,” she concluded.
Author: Pradnya Wicaksana
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
