A total of 33 students of Regional Development Studies, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) who will follow the Field Practice Course in Malaysia was officially released by the Dean and Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Cooperation and Alumni on Tuesday (20/9) on campus. The students will follow the field practice for eight days, 22 to 29 September 2011.
The coordinator of third field practice for Regional Development of Faculty of Geography, Dr. Rini Rachmawati, S.Si., M.T, said that the activities are the last stage of obligatory field practice for regional development: Regional Development Studies. It raises the theme 'Urban Management' and is the first pilot project of Field Practice Course conducted abroad from the Faculty of Geography that is expected to continue in the future. "We hope this activity can proceed smoothly and become part of implementation of the UGM's mission, namely to increase educational activities, research and world-class community service, with populist identity, developing Indonesian socio-culture as well as the spirit of struggle to realize the vision of the Faculty of Geography to become the international standard center of excellence in the field of geography," she expressed her hope.
Rini added that the implementation of field program is a form of cooperation between the Department of Geography of UGM, with Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya. The activities that will be carried out in Malaysia include introductory lectures by professors at the University of Malaya with the material: Overview of Kuala Lumpur City, General Problems of Urban Areas and Urban Management, also observation through a field tour around KL and related sub-themes areas.
Meanwhile, the data collection is carried out by applying RUA methods (Rapid Urban Appraisal), which consists of secondary data collection from multiple agencies, transects, observation and in depth interviews. In the pinnacle of the event, there will be Malaysia-Indonesia Students Seminar on Urban Management. "The event aims to train and prepare students to be active in international seminars, in addition to sharing experiences with students abroad," she concluded.