“YSU commits to be a World Class Education University. Therefore, it provides opportunities for its students and teachers to attend various events abroad to develop their potentials. It is open for every me in YSU” said Prof. Dr Rochmat Wahab, M.Pd., M.A., in the opening of 2014 Dissemination of Benchmarking Results and Participation in International Events Abroad on Thursday (1/29/2015) in YSU Main Hall.

The event held by Office of International Affairs and Partnership of YSU invited 23 teams of lecturers, employees, and students who joined academic visits, sit-in programs, benchmarking, seminar or presentation, competition, short course, teaching practice and guest lecturing program abroad. It consisted of plenary and parallel presentations which were also held in the University Senate Meeting Room.

“Last year (2014 :red), 233 students were sent to attend a number of sit in programs abroad. These programs involved 12 students representing Student Executive Board, 14 students participating in arts and cultural performances and selected students from international programs, and 207 students representing various study programs,” reported Prof. Suwarsih Madya, Ph.D., the Vice Rector for Cooperation and Partnership Affairs.

The first presentation in the event was delivered by the Teaching Practice Enrichment team in the Indonesian School of Singapore represented by Rahma Nur Fitriana from the English Language Education Study Program. “In Singapore, we stayed in the Indonesian Embassy and interacted with embassy staff so we have to be well mannered,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wiyatmi and Endang Rini Sukamti, M.S., shared their experience of attending a short course in the Australian Council for Educational Research in Melbourne, Australia. It gave them the chance to broaden their network in the field of classroom action research. ”In Indonesia, the external factors of classroom action research are usually neglected. We will apply what we got there in our classes,” Dr. Wiyatmi said.

In the meantime, the parallel sessions provided lecturer, employee and student presentations about their participation in international events abroad. (yuliana)