As many as 121 international students have conducted Student Community Service programme of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in the provinces of Yogyakarta Special Region and Central Java. They are assigned to three regencies in Kulon Progo, Gunung Kidul, and Wonosobo. They come from France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, and Japan.
“The involvement of the international students showed that the internationalisation programme of Student Community Service has gone global which is able to invite other countries to also learn how to develop community potential through community service projects,” said Director of Student Community Service UGM, Prof. Ir. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, M.Eng. Ph.D.
The statement was made by Irfan while dispatching the students in a ceremony done on Tuesday (8/10). The programme lasts for 50 days since 8 October – 26 November 2019. The students are guided by field lecturers throughout the project.
Irfan said the Student Community Service was designed as a learning process for diploma, undergraduate and professional students to develop their empathy and care towards real problems emerging in communities in the context of sustainable development to educate people and achieve common welfare. It is expected that the programme can generate future leaders who have empathy and care of real problems in society.
“You are all leaders of the future who are expected to know the real condition of the nation. Therefore, UGM insists to continue the programme while other universities have started to pull out,” he said.
He further appreciated all that had supported the programme implementation while to the participants he asked them to carry the good names of UGM through dedication and high performance.
“The success of the programme is a pride to UGM. Good luck to all participants. I hope the projects that you have planned in advance will run well and benefit the communities as well as yourselves,” Irfan concluded.