As many as 23 students and 6 supervisors from US universities have attended School of International Training (SIT) Study Abroad organised by Faculty of Philosophy UGM from 17-30 September. The students will join a series of events to know the history of Hinduism, Budhism, Islam and Javanese tradition.
“In this programme, the US students can learn the Indonesian culture and history,” said Dean of Faculty of Philosophy UGM, Dr. Arqom Kuswanjono, in the opening of SIT on Monday (18/9).
Same as the previous programme in February, the SIT programme this time still raises the theme of History of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Javanese Tradition. For the next two weeks, the participants will be asked to learn the entrance of the major religions to Indonesia and how those had developed in the midst of native cultures that have been inherited for hundreds of years.
In the event, the students introduced themselves in Indonesian. Later, they attend a course on religions in Indonesia, delivered by lecturer from Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies of UGM Graduate School, Dr. Kelli Swazey.
“Religion has a central role in the lives of Indonesian people. This might differ from that in the US,” said Swazey.
Swazey further described the entrance of religions in Indonesia, relations between religions and faiths, and other contemporary issues related to religion in the modern Indonesia. The students were interested in learning the relations between religions in Indonesia as well as the issues surrounding them.
“There are some very interesting things to learn deeper. If you want to know more, we’re at CRCS are ready to welcome and we can discuss them together,” Swazey concluded.
In addition, the students will join courses on social and cultural topics, including the ideology of Pancasila as one of the media to understand the values adhered to by Indonesian people.