I was asked to assist the U.S. Embassy, through Education USA, in supporting the development of academic internationalization across Muhammadiyah universities in Indonesia. This program is funded by the U.S. government with the aim of preparing Muhammadiyah campuses to welcome American students. It is truly an honor to be part of this noble endeavor.
The program is supported under the Study Abroad Engagement Grant (SAEG) and spearheaded by Mbak Amira Yunus, Mbak Ambarizky Trinugraheni, and Mas Zaki Zulkarnain from Education USA. It involves me from UGM and Jake Hosier from UC Davis, USA, as mentors. Given that we are based in different cities and even different parts of the world, meetings are rare, and our coordination is done virtually via Zoom. Thanks to technology.
I was expected to share my knowledge and experience regarding the organization of international programs with academic internationalization practitioners across dozens of Muhammadiyah campuses. All the knowledge and experience I shared were naturally drawn from my nine years serving as the Head of UGM’s International Office. I am grateful that even after two years since completing my term, these experiences can still be of value.
At the initial stage of the program, numerous Muhammadiyah universities across Indonesia were invited to participate. In a workshop held in Yogyakarta, dozens of lecturers and staff from various Muhammadiyah campuses gathered to learn and engage. The two main speakers were Jake and me. Since Jake participated virtually, I was the only one present on-site. It was truly delightful to share knowledge with such enthusiastic learners.
The output of this program was a proposal for an international program development initiative. Each campus was encouraged to draft a program proposal based on the insights and experiences we shared, specifically designing a short-term summer program. The participants were enthusiastic and came up with a wide range of ideas. It must be acknowledged, however, that while some were already quite prepared, others were still at the early stages.
In the next phase, we conducted online mentoring sessions. The proposals developed by participants were refined through online discussions and consultations. As expected, not all initial participants stayed the course. This process naturally became a form of organic selection. Some campuses demonstrated remarkable perseverance, resulting in significant improvements to their proposals.
Out of all the submissions, three proposals stood out: those from Universitas Muhammadiyah Solo (UMS), Universitas Muhammadiyah Kalimantan Timur (UMKT), and Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatra Utara (UMSU). These three institutions became the ones we physically visited. It was time for me, Jake, Mbak Amira, Mbak Ambar, and Mas Zaki to embark on a productive journey.
Our first visit was to UMS in Solo. We did not visit UMKT as their team traveled to Solo instead. Thus, our interactions with UMS and UMKT were combined during the Solo visit — a more time- and cost-efficient arrangement.
Our visit was not limited to refining the summer program proposals; it also served to strengthen the campuses’ overall capacity for academic internationalization. We held a seminar attended by lecturers, study program managers, and faculty administrators to discuss internationalization strategies. I delivered a presentation titled Reimagining Academic Internationalization, while Jake shared more practical materials. Hopefully, our presentations complemented each other well, providing both Indonesian and international campus perspectives.
We then conducted intensive proposal refinement sessions through in-depth consultations. Jake and I took turns meeting with the UMS and UMKT teams in separate rooms. These discussions were highly detailed and open. I genuinely enjoy such private and candid sessions. I did not hesitate to share the challenges we faced at UGM, along with possible solutions for their consideration. Honest and open conversations like these, I believe, are what truly make a difference. Hopefully.
After Solo, we flew to Medan to meet our colleagues at UMSU. I personally knew Pak Rudianto Nurdin, the Vice Rector for Cooperation, making the interactions much more relaxed. We had previously participated in activities together in Washington, DC, back in 2023, also supported by the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Reuniting with Pak Rudi and his team was a truly productive gathering.
As in Solo, Jake and I conducted a seminar session attended by lecturers, study program managers, and faculty administrators. We shared similar materials to those presented in Solo. However, with different participants, the atmosphere and interactions were distinctly different. Indeed, human character and behavior shape the dynamics of any session. I found joy in both settings and learned a lot from the way they responded to my presentations. The participants at UMSU were especially vibrant and energetic, creating an engaging and interactive learning environment.
Following the seminar, we moved on to focused discussions and consultations regarding the development of their summer program proposals. Much like what happened in Solo, Jake and I took turns holding detailed conversations with the summer program teams. These intensive, smaller group discussions always allow deeper exploration of ideas. Our conversations were highly detailed and technical. It appeared that the organizing teams were seeking very practical, ready-to-use tips. I hope my experience at UGM proves helpful for them.
It is always rewarding to work with people eager to learn. I hope the seminars for lecturers and program managers opened a new perspective: that internationalization is a necessity, not merely the responsibility of the international office. True internationalization happens within the study programs — the primary homes for learning. The International Office remains vital as a pioneer, but it should not be seen as the sole actor in running international education programs. Ideally, when the time is right, the International Office would no longer be needed, because international elements would have become an organic part of all teaching, research, and service activities.
Beyond internationalization work, there was also a personal reflection I found meaningful throughout this engagement with Muhammadiyah campuses. As a Hindu, I felt welcomed with warmth and openness. The inclusive atmosphere was unmistakable. I also learned that students at Muhammadiyah campuses come from diverse religious backgrounds. I heard that UMSU regularly hosts interfaith dialogue events in North Sumatra. Experiencing this inclusive environment has been one of the greatest joys of being part of this journey.
And of course, beyond academic matters, another thing that united us was food. Solo and Medan offered the perfect venues to indulge our adventurous spirits in trying new culinary experiences. Even Jake, with his American palate, found himself enjoying almost every dish offered with genuine hospitality — except for durian in Medan, which remained a challenge!
In the end, SAEG is not merely about international student exchanges. It is about the exchange of ideas, and more importantly, the exchange of understanding, so that differences do not divide us but instead encourage us to collaborate and work together. From this experience, my belief grows stronger: that we are not simply strengthening ourselves for competition but opening ourselves for collaboration.