“We have to transform our idealistic thoughts when we are involved in organizational activities in university into realistic behavior to mingle with the community. Knowledge, tolerance and understanding are needed to lead the community,” said Prof. Suwarsih Madya, Ph.D., as Vice Rector IV of YSU in the opening ceremony of Sit-In Program for Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students in Senat Meeting Room, YSU, on Tuesday (20/1/2015).

The opening ceremony was attended by eight students of UPM and fourteen representatives of YSU student organizations. The students, who were accompanied  by Associate Professor Dr.Faieza Binti Abdul Aziz, will attend leadership building course from 19 to 23 January 2015 in order to build leadership capacity for students of the two universities  as well as to observe processes and the development of home industries in Yogyakarta. 

In order to give a glance of view about the benefits of student mobility, Dr.–Ing Satoto E. Nayono, M. Eng., M.Sc., the director of Office of Partnerships and Affairs of YSU lectured in youth preparation in responding to the 2015 Asean Economic Community. “You are the prospective leaders for your country. It is good to meet youth from the neighbouring countries and build networking. In the future, these youth will have some knowledge about interacting with people from different countries so as to minimize conflicts and build cooperations in their fields of expertise or in setting up companies for young entrepreneurs.

In the discussion held at the end of the program, students and teachers of both universities shared their experience about various academic or non-academic activities in both universities.  Both university encourage programs for social activities, such as helping victims of natural disasters. Recently,  UPM students participated in a volunteering program to help  flood victims in Malaysia, meanwhile a number of students from YSU Faculty of Sport Sciences participated in relief  efforts to help landslide victims in Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java . (KUIK)