UNAIR NEWS – The international programs AMERTA XIII, LINGUA, and AMERTA Global Joint Class were officially closed on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Attended by all staff, lecturers and program participants, this closing session marked the success of UNAIR in holding the three annual international programs online.
AMERTA is a foreign student exchange program, while Learning Indonesia Language at Universitas Airlangga (LINGUA) is a program to learn Indonesian language and culture. Both were held for one full semester. There was also AMERTA Global Joint Class, a Forensic Psychology class designed for international students and held for three months.
The three virtual programs were able to attract high enthusiasm from program participants from various countries. Czech student Lucie Rychla ‘revealed that her opportunity to join AMERTA was a valuable experience that could broaden her knowledge on psychology.
Meanwhile, LINGUA program participant, Ania Tomczak, also shared her memorable experiences in the program. “This is my first time learning Indonesian. Even though it’s done online, I really enjoy it. Because we are not only learning language but also culture. LINGUA class allows me to get to know many cultures and tribes in Indonesia, ” she said fluently in Indonesian.
Ania hoped that the pandemic will end quickly and she can immediately visit Indonesia. Ania revealed that after joining the LINGUA class, she was encouraged to make videos and explore various cultures in Indonesia.
Another testimonial also came from Nishanth J. who was a participant in AMERTA Global Joint Class program. He felt lucky to be able to participate and build international connections. “Lecturers from India, Australia, and UNAIR provided interesting and easy to understand material even though the class is conducted online. I am really looking forward to UNAIR’s other international programs in the future, “added the Indian student.
Apart from reviewing messages and impressions from the participants, UNAIR’s Airlangga Global Engagement also presented a guest lecture on Being Positive and Optimistic During Pandemic. UNAIR Psychology Lecturer Atika Dian Ariana, S.Psi., M.SC., as the speaker emphasized the importance of psychological management in order to maintain a healthy mind and body immunity. “So one way to reduce stress and boredom during quarantine is to participate in useful programs such as AMERTA and LINGUA which are able to increase socialization between individuals,” said Atika.
At the end of the event held via Zoom, all program participants were invited to play games and exchange experiences, messages and impressions. dr. Muhammad Miftahussurur M.Kes., Sp.PD-KGEH., Ph.D as Vice Retor for Internationalization, Digitalization and Information in his remarks also promised other more interesting international programs in the future.
“Even though the implementation is limited due to the pandemic, we always try to provide programs that are really useful for increasing the skills and knowledge of the participants. We hope to meet you again in the future and together build international connectivity, “he added.
Author: Intang Arifia
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
