From the University of the Philippines, Madi, or Madelene Arcilla, is a BS Biology major in Zoology student that took upon Agronomy during her study in Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. She began her semester in August of 2024 until December 2024. She explained, the students at the University of the Philippines are taught how to emerge in excellence, which is not only about how high one’s GPA is, but also reflected by how someone perceives the world and how they act upon those perceptions. In short, how one upholds honor. This is why Madi joined Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) program. She believes that learning cultural diversity is a step in a better understanding of people and society. Furthermore, to have the experience of putting herself in a very much different environment than she had growing up would help her growth for independence, individual skills, social skills, and most of all, a better understanding of various aspects of life such as self, education, race, and society.
Like probably many students who are set to do their international exchange studies, Madi had a lot of questions on what is to happen in her stay in Indonesia and UGM. Fortunately, as she arrived in UGM, she met with her wonderful buddy, Regina Claudia (Department of Agricultural Socio-Economics 2022), who showed her a fun trip around the Faculty of Agriculture UGM. On that day, they both met with one of Claudia’s favorite professors, Prof. Anung Pranyoto and spent hours conversing about the campus, Indonesia, and the diversity in academic studies. That day was a memorable experience for Madi as it introduced relevant things that would help her during her stay in Yogyakarta and what to expect during the program. Throughout the weeks, she got to build connections and relationships with the AIMS students, international and local students, professors, and other locals. The guidance from UGM staff and students made navigating this new chapter smoother and the hospitality and kindness of locals ensured she always felt secure.
Madi took some interesting courses, such as microbiology, fisheries, and traditional fermented food of Indonesia, where she can widen her knowledge and use her critical thinking and scientific communication skills. Through this program, within the past almost five months of the life in Indonesia, she has explored a lot of places both inside the academic walls of UGM and outside. In UGM, she mostly spent her day on the sixth floor of the Agrotropica Learning Center (AGLC) building of the Faculty of Agriculture, where she attended her morning classes, doing schoolwork, or even just hanging around with the other students. She, along with the other AIMS students, love having lunch together at different faculty canteens too. It became bonding moments for them to go to the other faculties and also try out Indonesian dishes.
“Besides learning diversity inside the campus, I also enjoyed my exploration times, where I travelled around Yogyakarta and other regions in Java, such as Malang and Bromo. I also remember the memorable moments of education tour to Pagilaran. These explorations gave me a lot of memories with amazing people and deepened my appreciation for Indonesia’s vibrant culture, diverse landscapes, and warm people,” she explained.
The program made by the partnership of two universities enabled the dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, importantly 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: Madi’s documentation