Covid-19 pandemic has made several collaborative programs involving international students to be rescheduled and even cancelled. On 19 March 2020 for example, UNY officially closed international teaching practice program in UNY’s partner schools after UPSI request to finish the program earlier due to covid-19 lockdown policy in Malaysia. In addition, BIPA program students from Princeton University were also withdrawn from the program early.
Despite of these changes, not all international students on the ongoing program decided to return to their home countries early. Some international students even see the conditions in their country are not safer than Indonesia.
To help international students who are continuing their programs at UNY during the covid-19 pandemic, UNY has distributed food packages, personal protective gears and sanitizers for international students who are currently still in Yogyakarta. This support is available since April 21, 2020 at UNY Postgraduate Program and since April 22, 2020 at UNY's International Office.
International students who receive assistance at UNY Postgraduate Program come from the KNB Program, YSU-DISS Scholarship Program (Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral) and the UNY Independent PPs Program. Whereas international students who receive assistance at the UNY International Office come from the Darmasiswa RI Program, the Independent Bachelor Program and Credit Transfer at Faculty of Languages and Arts(FBS).
Based on data from the reception of aid at the UNY International Office, as of April 24, 2020, there were at least 20 international students who had taken this assistance package. The beneficiary details consisted of 11 people from the Darmasiswa RI Program, 3 people from Independent Bachelor Program and 6 people from the FBS Credit Transfer Program.
"Thank you for your support to international students who are still staying at UNY," said Jintai Udornchainit, student from Thailand participating in Indonesian Darmasiswa RI Program. (Laksa)
