On Friday, March 14, 2014, UNY's Office of International Affairs and Cooperation (KUIK) conducted a training program for Liaison Officers (LO) and Tutors. LOs are selected students who will assist and guide international guests at UNY, while Tutors—who are also LOs—support foreign students in learning the Indonesian language. The Tutor program has been running since 2013, and the LO program officially began this year, selecting students from the 2013 cohort with ProTEFL scores above 500 and KUIK volunteers.
Held at the UNY Rectorate Building, the training began with a session from Vice Rector IV, Prof. Suwarsih Madya, Ph.D., on principles of international interaction, followed by a presentation by Anies Rohidayah on LO responsibilities. After Friday prayers, participants received sessions on guest service protocol from Rizka, S.H., and an introduction to Yogyakarta’s cultural landscape by Retna Hidayah, Ph.D., who explained four cultural categories: high culture, vernacular, material, and immaterial culture.
As a follow-up, LO trainees were grouped into teams for a two-week research project on various aspects of Yogyakarta, including tourism, events, heritage sites, local culture, and transportation. The findings will be compiled into a guidebook for future LOs at UNY. The training program will continue with four additional sessions through early April 2014.(Alwan)
