YSU became the destination of State Polytechnic of Medan visitation for having a comparative study in regards with BIPA (Indonesian for Non-native Speakers) program of YSU that is persistently improving. With the experience of running the BIPA program since 1994, YSU program welcomed State Polytechnic of Medan, on Friday (2/10/2015) housed in A Classroom, Office of International Affairs and Partnership, YSU.

Head of OIAP, Dr.-Ing. Satoto E. Nayono, M.Eng., M.Sc., hosted the visitation, which involved 5 representatives of State Polytechnic of Medan. "In this occasion, I speak on behalf of the Office of International Affairs and Partnership YSU to share the experience of handling management of BIPA as part of internationalization strategy of conducted by YSU" Satoto said while opening the agenda.

He added that the internationalization strategy of establishing BIPA program is as the answer of the high demand for mastering Indonesian Language today that is increasingly becoming ‘prima donna’ in several countries. "In 2030, Indonesia is predicted to be the 7th economic power in the world," he suggested.

The urgency of conducting BIPA program in educational institutions also grabbed most of his attention. "Based on our experience, most BIPA participants prefer taking Bahasa Indonesia course at higher education institutions, with the better quality and assurance, in addition to be more officially acclaimed” he asserted.

To further ensure that BIPA is intensely demanded in an educational institution, he exposed some prominent activities available in BIPA, including workshops on culture knowledge, the presence of tutors, as well as teaching materials according to the students’ needs.

Ending the occasion, all participants held a warm discussion around the technical topics regarding immigration, student permit, a learning timeline, as well as the source funding. (Yuhda)