The Office of International Affairs and Cooperation of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (OIC UMSU) held a gathering with international students from various countries on Tuesday (31/12) at the Faculty of Islamic Studies Hall, Muchtar Basri Street No. 3, Medan.
The event was attended by the Rector of UMSU, Prof. Dr. Agussani, MAP, who was represented by the Vice Rector III of UMSU, Assoc. Prof. Dr Rudianto, M.Si. In his remarks, he welcomed and thanked the international students.
‘Welcome and welcome to join UMSU. We believe it is not easy to study in Indonesia. You need time and a long journey from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia. I think this is not easy,’ said WR III.
He hopes that international students will feel at home in the learning process while at UMSU.
‘We note that the learning outcomes of international students are also very good. We must make students not just students, but treat them like our children at home,’ WR III advised the Vice Deans present.
He also said that UMSU is different from other campuses, so international students are not just treated as students, but as family who must be given love and attention. In addition, Dr Rudianto said that in the future, in addition to Indonesian, international students who have not mastered English also need to get learning.
Based on the report of Rafieqah Nalar Rizky, S.Sos., M.A, the number of new UMSU international students is 23 people, coming from various countries, namely Sudan (2 students), Yemen (2 students), Thailand (14 students), and Cambodia (5 students). They are spread across various faculties, such as FEB, FKIP, FAI, Faculty of Engineering, FIKTI, FISIP, and Master of Management. Thus, the total number of UMSU international students currently reaches 67 students.
Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Religion (FAI), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Qorib, MA, added that UMSU’s international programme is in line with Muhammadiyah’s vision in supporting the internationalisation of education.
‘The presence of these foreign students is a real step towards strengthening Muhammadiyah’s international programme,’ he said.
Then, an international student from Yemen, Ahmed, shared his experiences during his studies. He expressed his gratitude for successfully getting a scholarship at UMSU.
‘Alhamdulillah, I thank the lecturers and friends who have helped me. With their guidance, I managed to achieve a GPA of 3.91,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Mozan, an international student who recently arrived from Sudan, appreciated UMSU’s efforts in teaching Indonesian through the BIPA (Indonesian for Foreign Speakers) programme.
This event is an important momentum to strengthen the sense of kinship between international students and the UMSU academic community. With the spirit of mutual support, UMSU hopes to become a second home for foreign students as well as a place for them to achieve their dreams.
Also attending this event were the Vice Deans of UMSU, MBKM Unit, Language Centre (PUSBA), BIPA Institute, and international students throughout UMSU.
