EDCOM holds a seminar on international education

 

EDCOM (English Department Community) held a seminar about international education on Sunday (4/24). The seminar was held in the Building 3 of FIB (Faculty of Cultural Sciences). Merely 140 audiences joined the event. Based on the tagline "Discover your future in global education", the seminar tried to let people know about global education.

Four speakers were invited to deliver their knowledge based on the international education. The first speaker came from America. His name is Jesse Kiendl, an English Language Specialist who contributes in Regional English Language Office (RELO), which aims to study about education system and culture. The second speaker came from International Office of Sebelas Maret University (UNS), Safitri Bonea, who talked about her experience about campus lifestyle in Utrecht University, Netherland. The third speaker, Fitra Ramadania, delivered her knowledge and experience while became an international student in America. Last speaker, Gun Gun Gunawan, told his experience and gave some ways according to his experience to survive in Egypt (Suez Canal University) as a student who dedicated in exchange program.

The event was well-guided by Meidiana K. L. and Rake A. as master of ceremony started at 09:30 a.m. Riyadi Santosa as the Dean of FIB and Khafitta Q. as the leader of the event delivered their opening speech about 45 minutes. Then, the event continued to the first speaker period, moderated by Taufiq Al Makmun, one of lecturers in English Department, who talked about the different culture and its benefits. Jesse Kiendl is an expert of English language teacher and belongs to be a member of RELO. He talked about many important things related to higher education in USA such as the regulations and the requirements to study abroad in the USA. He also shared his own educational experience in Columbia University while majoring History and Botany.

Jessie explained the difference of education system between in Indonesia and USA. He explained that children in USA take a Nursery School before Kindergarten and they spend their time in Senior High School for about 4 years. There is also a school for graduated High school's students called Junior College or Community college that took 2 - 2.5 years to finish it. The students can transfer into University once they graduate. The requirement for applying on the University in the USA is also different comparing to the grade based on Indonesia's educational system. In USA the requirements demanded usually consist of personal statement, where the student’s candidates are from, who they are, and etc. Usually, the students choose the major after spend their time in the university for a year. The class usually begins in September or October and the normal course consists of 3-5 courses per term. There are also two types of Master Degree programs in the USA: Academic and Professional Program.

After question and answer session with Jesse as the first speaker, prizes were given for audiences who asked questions, and the seminar's souvenirs were also given for the speaker. Then, it continued to Safitri Bonea session, the second speaker who talks about lifestyle while studying abroad. She began her turn by telling about her life experiences while study in Uthrect, a small city in Netherland with the most beautiful canal in the world. She stated that while study abroad, people should make balance in the term of study, play, or many other aspects in their life.

According to Safitri’s explanation, the educational system in Netherland requires students to be more active, independent, and talkative in the learning proccess because of the “speak up” culture. People must also read many books and try to be critical, that's how educational system in Netherland categorized in good condition. People there prefer using bicylce to go anywhere because public transportation costs very expensive. About social life aspect, there are such international student groups or student organizations which let the students gave more knowledge and pleasure daily life.

As the third speaker, Fitra Ramadania talked about her life story while study in Stony Brook University funded by Fulbright scholarship. She mentioned that the campus can be reached about 2 hours from New York, and it is also a beautiful, large and huge university. The campus provided a student card that can be use for many things such as for open the dorm room, for borow books, for buy something in cafetaria and etc. Fitria explained that students in USA tend to be less formal in the class, they can eat snacks, they can wear whatever they want to wear such an sandals, short pants, and etc because they respect the lecturer in their own way, for example by seriously pay attention to the class and always raising hand or asking something in the question and answer session.

Gun Gun Gunawan, the forth speaker of the seminar event talked about his experience of survival life while doing an exchange program in Egypt. While sharing information about the social life and condition in Egypt, he also shared his knowledge about the educational system in Egypt, in which the lecturer tend to use the ceramah mode and there's no presentation or discussion session at all. In addition of his explanation the students also not allowed to ask something except the lecturer told them to do so because it is a part of their tradition.

The seminar held well and finished at 01:00 p.m. It also got good impressed from Jesse as the main speaker in the event.

“Wow, based on this seminar I found that actually many people want to study abroad including USA. According to this condition, so all of you who want to study in the USA must work hard to compete with others candidates. Well, another good point is actually I think that Indonesian students are passive during the discussion, but what had happened in the seminar differs from my expectation. Many people ask me questions and that’s good, well-done for all of you”, he mentioned.