A total of eight foreign students from five universities, namely University of Western, University of Adelaide, University of Tasmania, University of Sydney, and Murdoch University, on the second half of 2010/2011 will participate in KKN-PPM UGM. Together with 32 students from several Department in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Geography, Dentistry, Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, Law, Cultural Science, Agriculture, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, as well as Engineering, they will be assigned in the Bangunjiwo Village, Kasihan, Bantul.
"There are eight foreign students from five universities participating in the KKN PPM UGM this time," Head of LPPM, who is also Chairman of the DERU Team (Disaster Early Response Unit), Slamet Widiyanto, M.Sc., said in his speech at the release of KKN PPM UGM student in Hall of UGM, Monday (18/10).
Slamet said the theme raised in the current KKN-PPM is Empowerment of Kasongan’s Community toward Creation of the Synergistic Tourism Area (Edu-Eco-Tourism), Craft Industry (Home Craft Industry), and Settlement (Living Environment) at Bangunjiwo Village, Kasihan, Bantul. Slamet explained that KKN-PPM proved to have been able to steal the attention of the international academic <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8eZHrZdEQ9Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> circles as a contribution of national education to the efforts to reduce lack of knowledge, poverty, and underdevelopment. "Until today, more than 100 foreign students have participated in KKN-PPM at UGM. We hope that at the end of 2012, this program will be followed by at least 200 foreign students," he said.
In the same place, Manager of KKN-PPM UGM, Dr. Irkham Widiyono, accompanied by Field Supervisor, Dimas Wihardyanto, S.T, M.T, of Architectural Engineering Department UGM, said the KKN activities will be held from 18 October to 19 December 2010. The students will be located in four hamlets, namely Sembungan, Kajen, Gedongan, and Kalipucang. "These students will be assigned in four hamlets, namely Kalipucang, Kajen, Gedongan, and Sembungan," Irkham explained.
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The involvement of foreign students in the KKN is a strategic asset that must be optimized. Therefore, cooperation and synergy between the foreign students with UGM students are necessary. The option in Kasongan was made because students are expected to synergize the knowledge to develop the economic, education, environment, and tourism sector. "Hopefully, KKN PPM UGM can provide added value to the community," Irkham hoped.
In the meantime, Joel Rodda (24) from Murdoch University and Timothy Lay (20) from the University of Sydney who were studying Nusantara Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, said that they were happy to be involved in this KKN PPM UGM. They are eager to follow this activity until the end. Nevertheless, they do not really understand about the activities in the field, thus they still need guidance. "We are enthusiastic to participate in the KKN-PPM, but we still need guidance because we have not understood very well what kind of activities are in the field," Joel and Tim said.
The release of KKN PPM UGM students in the second half of 2010/2011 was also marked by symbolic presentation of KKN cap and uniform to the student representatives, Fajar Wisnu Brata (Faculty of Law) and Nikola (Department of Nusantara Literature) and Field Supervisor Dimas Wihardyanto, M.T.