Takuma Onose, a student of Department of Biological Production at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Japan, had never travelled abroad before, including personal trips, as he had always stayed in his home country of Japan. However, motivated by a desire to improve his English skills and witness firsthand the differences between Japan and other countries, he decided to participate in the Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) program at Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia. During his time at UGM, he took six courses and three practicums to enrich his knowledge, with the Plant Breeding course leaving a strong impression on him.
Since it was Taku’s first time living abroad, his experience in Indonesia was full of surprises. He arrived in Yogyakarta on 3 August 2024, and the thing that surprised him the most was the toilets. Besides, since the majority of the population practices Islam, there are mosques everywhere, and he felt that religion was much closer to him than it had been when he was in Japan.
Taku was impressed by the high level of English proficiency among UGM students, including AIMS students, which greatly helped improve his own English skills. In particular, Taku’s buddy, Narasimha Kusuma Aliwarga, has excellent English skills. He could not only converse with Taku in English at a pace that Taku could understand, but he could also speak fluently and quickly with other friends. Taku made a firm resolution to catch up to Rama’s level of English proficiency someday.
“I am beyond surprised and challenged with the English skills of my friends here, especially my buddy’s. By having daily conversation and discussion in class, I learned a lot from them and I hope I can improve my English skill,” he said.
In the Plant Breeding practicum, Taku studied eight topics, including Hardy-Weinberg’s Law and the use of molecular markers through PCR and electrophoresis methods, where he operated the equipment himself. Although he had previously taken courses in the same field at TUAT and understood the content, the practicum at UGM was conducted in English, and he discovered several new aspects, such as differences in operational methods between Indonesia and Japan. However, the report assignments given after each practicum were far more challenging than he had imagined. Completing a single report required several times more background knowledge, providing him with an excellent opportunity to revisit and deepen his understanding of his field of expertise.
Moreover, UGM fosters closer relationships with its professors. Prof. Ir. Achmadi Priyatmojo, M.Sc., Ph.D., who is commonly known as Prof. Ipik, showed great care for Taku, who is the junior of Hibiki Sawada, an AIMS exchange student at UGM last year. Prof. Ipik provided support and helped plan trips for Taku, saying, “If you have any problems, feel free to consult me. Also, please share the fun experiences you have in Indonesia.” Taku was deeply moved by his kindness. Additionally, Ani Widiastuti, S.P., M.P., Ph.D., a lecturer of the Plant Protection Department, invited Taku and other AIMS students to her home and even took them to visit Plaosan Lor Temple.
Taku hopes that the AIMS program will continue in the future, with improvements made to enhance its quality further.This also shows the real commitment of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM in achieving the goals of SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Author: Hanita Athasari Zain
Editor: Desi Utami
Photo: Taku’s documentation