The students on the IISMA programme
University welcomes Indonesian students on international mobility awards programme
Ten students from Indonesia have ‘enrolled’ at the University of Exeter as part of an international programme that is supporting academic skills development in the Asia Pacific country.
The students have made the 12,000km journey to study in the South West thanks to the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), which fund undergraduate scholarships at top universities overseas.
Overseen by the Indonesian Government, IISMA enables students to spend one semester at a partner university, where they can experience the host country's culture and undertake practical assignments to enhance their skills.
Launched in 2021, the first year of IISMA saw 1,000 Indonesian students study at 73 universities worldwide, with nearly one fifth of them choosing ten institutions in the UK.
Exeter’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, met the Indonesian cohort at a specially arranged lunch at the start of the new academic year to extend a warm welcome to them. Professor Roberts said: “As a global university, we are delighted to be supporting IISMA and recognise its contribution to widening participation in Indonesia and the creation of valuable academic and life-skills. We hope that these students are inspired by their time here with us at Exeter and take advantage of the fantastic experience we provide.”
Among the modules that the students will be taking include Digital Technologies and Future of Work; Leading Change in Practice; and an Introduction to Health Research. These all complement the ‘Ten Skills for the Future Workforce’ identified by the Indonesian government.
One of the students, Krissanti Gusti, from Semarang, and an International Business student at Universitas Diponegoro, said: “I did a lot of research and knew that Exeter was the best option for me. The main reason was the courses, with lots of options in the Business School which will be very helpful for me, especially because I am working towards undertaking an MBA.”
Aqli Sharfan, from Jakarta and a final year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Yogyakarta, added: “It’s an opportunity for me to have an international experience and adapt to a new culture. I want to learn about business and Exeter is renowned for the quality of its teaching in this area.
“I am really impressed with what I have experienced so far. There are lots of international students and the city is great.”
The University has growing links with Indonesia, and recently passed the 250-mark for alumni in the country.
Date: 30 September 2022
