As a student who came from Ibaraki University, Japan, Yuwa Takagi felt challenged to experience a variety of new things that he has never tried before. His willingness to explore and broaden academic horizons led to his decision in choosing Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Indonesia as his destination in Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) since August to December 2024.

Yuwa shared his favorite class named “Traditional Fermented Food of Indonesia”. This class became his favorite since it facilitated him to meet with regular students, so that he can make friends with a lot of students and learn about their culturals background. The lecturer of the class is Susanti Mugi Lestari, S.P., M.Si., Ph.D., a lecturer of Department of Agricultural Microbiology. Yuwa, who is a student of Food Science major, admired Susanti because of her knowledge and the way she teach in class.

“Dr. Susanti has a great way to teach in class with her English skill that is really good. I admire her because of it,” he added.

In addition, Yuwa also liked the Seed Technology Practicum where he met his cheerful friends. He enjoyed the practicum and he was able to finish all the assignments and reports happily. Yuwa explained, these courses gave him a lot of opportunity in studying other languages and exploring interesting subjects. Besides academic environment, Yuwa found that the existence of cats around UGM is a really unique situation. Yuwa said, he would not find any cats in Ibaraki University. But, thanks to these cats, Yuwa was able to feel relax by playing with them after finishing his assignments.

Yuwa’s time at UGM through the AIMS program has been an invaluable experience, both academically and personally. Studying courses like “Traditional Fermented Food of Indonesia” and “Seed Technology” allowed him to dive deeper into subjects related to his major while also exploring new fields. The opportunity to interact with regular students and make lasting friendships enriched his stay. Beyond academics, the unique experience of encountering cats on campus helped me unwind and recharge during stressful moments. Overall, this program has not only broadened Yuwa’s academic horizons, but also deepened his cultural understanding and appreciation of Indonesia.

Yuwa’s experiences at Faculty of Agriculture UGM has shown the strong commitment of the faculty in providing a great environment for student exchange programs and it is in line with the aim of accomplishing sustainable development goals (SDGs), mainly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Author: Hanita Athasari Zain
Editor: Desi Utami
Photo: Yuwa’s documentation

Bouakeo Phanthanouvong, known as Keo, is an exchange student from Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry in Vietnam, majoring in Environmental Science and Management. Currently, he is undertaking a six-month exchange program, named Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) at the Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia. Keo chose this program upon recommendations from lecturers and friends, who highlighted UGM’s status as one of the top universities in Indonesia. He was encouraged to gain new experiences, expand his knowledge, and going through a transformative journey by studying at a renowned institution.

Throughout his time at UGM, Keo has received encouragement from several people, including his colleagues and instructors. The AIMS program has offered him a platform to cultivate talents and expand his knowledge. Among the lecturers, he especially enjoys those who supervise practicum sessions, which he finds tough but fulfilling. He enjoys the chance to bring back ideas and approaches to his native institution. His choice to engage in this exchange program demonstrates his desire to investigate other lives, customs, and beliefs. He believes that pursuing studies in Indonesia constitutes a significant advancement in his intellectual and personal development.

Keo finds several courses in the Faculty of Agriculture very intriguing, including Plant Breeding, Seed Technology, and Microbial Bioremediation. The first two courses provide a novel viewpoint on plant genetics and laboratory practices, but the final closely corresponds with his major, augmenting his comprehension of environmental remediation via microbial applications. At UGM, he has noted distinctive attributes, like the diligence of both students and instructors, as well as their benevolence, particularly during practicum sessions.

“There are several courses that I enjoy the most, that are Plant Breeding, Seed Technology, and Microbial Bioremediation, which provide a different atmosphere for me to improve my understanding in these areas of study,” Keo added.

During his study process at Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Keo spends much of his time at the Agricultural Learning Center (AGLC) building, where his courses are conducted. He regularly utilizes the discussion room there for studies and loves resting at Karitoru Café, which he describes as inexpensive and conducive to attention. His favorite activities include practicum sessions, where he may participate in hands-on experiments that are inaccessible outside the lab.

Keo began his adventure at UGM on August 12th, taking his first lesson on fermented foods. His training will complete on December 6th, and he will return to Vietnam on December 18th. A noteworthy highlight of his stay at UGM was a field trip to a tea
plantation called Pagilaran, where AIMS students and regular students engaged in numerous activities, making it an enjoyable and instructive experience.

Despite the intellectual intensity, particularly during practical sessions, Keo finds ways to combine his academics with leisure. He typically spends time with other AIMS students and friends, participating in various activities to reduce stress. This remarkable journey of Keo shows how strong the commitment of faculty is in contributing to achieve sustainable development goals, mainly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Editor: Hanita Athasari Zain
Photo: Keo’s documentation

Indonesia is one of the largest countries in the world in agricultural production. At a time when the average temperature is rising worldwide due to global warming, agricultural technology in Indonesia, a tropical climate, will become very important. Therefore, Jisoo Park, a student from The Department of Horticulture, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea wanted to experience studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada as it thought it had abundant insights and experience in tropical agriculture and sustainable agriculture.

Jisoo found interesting courses in the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, which is Traditional Fermented Food of Indonesia and Plant Breeding. It was unique that Faculty of Agriculture UGM provides comprehensive support for students’ studies and that it has so many experimental subjects. Various club activities and festivals were held on campus, so it was great to make new friends or enjoy culture. Also, there were many activities where students could continue their studies progressively, such as buddy programs, exchange students, and experimental assistants. She felt that UGM gives her more options in experimental subjects than her origin university.

“Gyeongsang National University also has experimental subjects, but UGM has more options. Therefore, I feel that it is interesting that students can choose a subject that they are interested in and study intensively,” said Jisoo.

In a Traditional Fermented Food in Indonesia class, Jisoo said it was good to be able to take the class with regular students at UGM. This is because there are not many opportunities to meet regular students because other classes that she takes is with the students of International Undergraduate Class (IUC).

Jisoo who is from Korea, she is very familiar with fermented food because she can also experience many traditional fermented foods in Korea. However, she said she did not know that Indonesia also had so many kinds of fermented foods, and it was new because the ingredients and methods of making them were different from those of Korea. Also, sometimes local students brought traditional foods such as tape, cempedak and brem, and they could taste them in class. So that, she was grateful for that and all of traditional foods were tasty and she really likes it.

At UGM, the odd semester began on 12 August and ends in early December. The Traditional Fermented Food class is held every Monday morning and students learn various types of traditional Indonesian fermented foods, how to make them, and the microorganisms used in class. Jisoo mainly studies at the 6th floor of Agrotropical Learning Centre (AGLC) building. This is because most of the AIMS students’ classes are held at AGLC building. After class, she has lunch with her friends at the cafeteria. Moreover, Jisoo also tried the cafetaria at different faculties in UGM to explore and experience various things at UGM.

“This is my first visit to Indonesia, but I have had such a good experience that I hope Indonesia’s diverse and friendly culture will be known to more people,” she added.

The acceptance of Jisoo as one of AIMS students in Faculty of Agriculture UGM showed a commitment of the faculty to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 10: Reduce Inequality, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Author: Hanita Athasari Zain
Editor: Desi Utami
Photo: Jisoo’s documentation