University Al-Azhar Indonesia (UAI) and Tohoku University (TU) Japan have been associated since the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in 2021. The involved collaboration between Faculty of Humanities (UAI) and Graduate School of Arts and Letters (TU) are including the joint research and teaching, distance learning, and student exchange. After some implementations, in the middle of 2023 there were four students from TU who visited UAI for joining the exchange student program. Following the remarkable experience, this year the two faculties have been agreed to send seven students who are Shio Fukuda, Eri Ichijo, Akira Ikarashi, Riku Kawasaki, Moeka Sato, and Ayano Takabayashi from Japanese linguistics department to experience of studying in UAI from February until March 2024.
In the welcoming event (26/2), the Faculty of Humanities arranged the activity by playing an Indonesian traditional game with all the students. During the opening remarks, Miss Vera Yulianti, S.S., M.A. (The Head of Japanese Language and Culture) delivered her happiness to have the student from TU for the second time. She explained this program will divide into two activities of cultural studies. Hence, TU’s students will get the chance the experience to study in Indonesia and they will also visit Istiqlal Mosque, Cathedral Church, and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). She hoped that this experience will be an unforgettable one as they have already become the family of UAI by joining this program.
Continued by Dr. Lusi Lian Piantari, S.S., M.Hum. (Dean of Faculty of Humanities), she welcomed all the students with open arms by introducing all the departments that are available at her faculty from undergraduate to graduate study. Though the exchange student will only last a short time, she believes that they will maximize the time not only academically but also culturally in socializing the Japanese Culture while learning Indonesian. At last, she cherished all the students to have fun and enjoy Indonesia.
Dr. Mohamad Ghozali Moenawar, Lc., M.M. (Head of Office of International Affairs) stated that UAI and TU have been carving a really tight cooperation. There are many collaborations that have been implemented. He is sure that this exchange program will strengthen our universities’ relationship. Added some more, he said that TU is really famous in our university since the Head of the Japanese Language and Culture is an alumna there. Accordingly, he hoped that this program can fulfill the vision and mission of both institutions.
Riku Kawasaki (Representative of TU’s Students) thanked UAI for the hospitality and warm welcome. He then shared his experience before deciding to join this program. At first, he did not know anything until his senior who also participated in the previous program in UAI told him about how good and interesting the program was. After learning little by little about it, he committed to apply with an objective to experience living in Indonesia, know its culture, most importantly how Japanese education is wrapped there. He wished that the program would be a once in a lifetime experience for him and all the other students from TU and they could not be more grateful for the given opportunity.
Eventually, after the meet and greet the students were also involved in some Indonesian and Japanese games and the event was closed with two performances by the students of Faculty of Humanities of UAI in showing Poco-poco as Indonesian traditional dance and the students from TU as well performed their traditional Japanese dance. (TSH)