UNAIR NEWS – The Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) is a government initiative offering students the opportunity to study abroad for a semester. Aprilia Cahyaningrum, a student at the Faculty of Humanities UNAIR, believes that being an IISMA awardee is a wonderful achievement.
Lia, for short, got the study outbound experiences at the Queen Mary University of London, UK, from September 2023 to January 2024.
In an interview with UNAIR NEWS, she explained that choosing the United Kingdom aligned with her current academic program. “Coming from the English Language and Literature department, I learn a lot about English culture. I believe that studying in the UK will help me better understand the things I’ve learned during my three years of study at UNAIR,” she said.
She has also conducted research on Queen Mary University of London, stating that the campus has a highly diverse environment.
“Many people from various backgrounds study here, and it aligns with my interest in social diversity. I also hope my experience will help me in writing my thesis and research with a similar topic,” she said.
The courses at the host university mostly have two meetings per week. There are lecture sessions where the material is explained by the lecturer and attended by dozens to hundreds of students. There are seminar classes with 15 students discussing the topics and mandatory readings for the week.
“The lecturers don’t explain much in the seminar class. It can be said that students have almost full responsibility for the seminar class. Therefore, we are obligated to read and understand the readings and topics to be discussed. Both lecture and seminar sessions last for one hour,” she said.
During one semester, which spans 12 weeks, a reading week without in-person meetings is scheduled for the seventh week or mid-semester. However, typically during this week, assignments are due, and there are no sit-in exams.
Through this program, Lia learned to live more independently and be courageous, agile, and confident. “British and Indonesian cultures are very different, both in class and in social settings generally. I learned to adapt, and I hope to bring my positive culture and habits back to Indonesia,” she said.
Lia hopes that the experiences gained from this program will bring her closer to her dream career as a diplomat. ” Diplomacy is my dream career. The experiences in studying, researching, and networking will greatly assist me,” she said.
After participating in the IISMA program, Lia aspires to inspire other students to make the most of the facilities provided by the Emancipated Campus program to gain valuable experiences in both academic and non-academic fields.
Author: Aidatul Fitriyah
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
