The international programs AMERTA XIII, LINGUA, and AMERTA Global Joint Class were officially completed on January 20, 2021. Attended by all staff, lecturers, and program participants, this closing session marked the success of Universitas Airlangga in holding the three annual international programs online.
Held for one full semester, AMERTA is a foreign student exchange program, while Learning Indonesia Language at Universitas Airlangga (LINGUA) is a program to learn Indonesian language and culture. There was also AMERTA Global Joint Class, a Forensic Psychology class designed for international students and held for three months.
The three virtual programs attracted 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 of 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 enjoyed it. We are not only learning the language but also the culture. LINGUA class allowed me to get to know many cultures and tribes in Indonesia, ” she said.
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.
Nishanth J, a participant in AMERTA Global Joint Class program, said that 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 classes were conducted online. I am really looking forward to UNAIR’s other international programs in the future,“ added the Indian student.
UNAIR’s Airlangga Global Engagement also presented a guest lecture on “Being Positive and Optimistic During Pandemic”. UNAIR Psychology Lecturer Atika Dian Ariana, 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., Vice-Rector for Internationalization, Digitalization and Information, in his remarks said that UNAIR will strive to come up with more such 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.