An even larger number of Indonesian scholarship students spend the autumn semester at the University of Pécs than last year: 66 students from 36 Indonesian universities arrived thanks to the fact that UP has won participation in two Indonesian government scholarship programs. At the orientation program held on 21 September in the dr. Halasy-Nagy József Aula, they were greeted by the university leadership, the management of the faculties providing them with meaningful and interesting courses, as well as the mobility and faculty coordinator staff and the Study Abroad and Summer School Office, who help in the smooth operation of the program at UP.
Dr. István Tarrósy, director of the International Centre gave a warm welcome to the Indonesian student group. He proudly informed the audience that UP was included in the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) excellence scholarship program for the second time, launched by the Indonesian government in 2021, for which 240 universities applied from all over the world, of which only 73 universities were selected as host institutions. Within the framework of this program, after hosting 41 students last year, this year, 46 IISMA scholarship students are spending the autumn semester at the University of Pécs.
"Internationalization is an important task of the university, so in recent decades we have multiplied the number of our international students, who now come to UP from more than 100 countries to study"
– emphasized Dr. József Bethlehem, vice rector for general affairs, connections and strategic affairs, and added: "I hope that you are going to enjoy your time here in Pécs, and in addition to the important knowledge expansion, you will participate in cultural programs, excursions and gain valuable experience."
To be included in the program, the International Centre applied with the Study Abroad program, which has been running successfully for years. The IISMA Excellence Program is one of the most significant scholarship programs in the world. This year, the Indonesian government is providing scholarships for 1000 students and 5000 next year to spend a semester at universities that rank high in international higher education rankings.
"We are very pleased that UP can welcome one of the largest groups of students in the program"
– emphasized Dr. István Tarrósy, head of the International Centre, at the orientation program for Indonesian students.
Courses are provided by four faculties for IISMA Excellence Scholarship students: the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Business and Economics, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development, and the Faculty of Law. On their behalf, Dr. Ágoston Mohay, Dr. Iván Zádori and Dr. Katalin Erdős, vice deans, and Gál Zoltánné Dr. Andrea Schmidt, associate professor, welcomed the students and provided them with good advice for the semester to be spent here, highlighting that they were very pleased
by the excellent performance of the students in the previous Indonesian group.
In addition to IISMA, UP has also managed to participate in another scholarship program launched by the Indonesian government this year, which includes internships. The International Centre has submitted a successful application for the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards Vocational (IISMAVO) program, according to which UP can host 20 Indonesian students for the autumn semester. The University of Pécs won with a program called Community Development, the professional part of which is provided by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. During the semester, students participate in courses, and complete their internships at non-profit organizations in Pécs. UP is included in the scholarship program as the only Hungarian host university.
The leaders of the Indonesian student groups prepared exciting presentations, where they briefly introduced their country, which consists of more than 18100 islands, which about 300 different ethnic groups call home. Many Indonesian students arrived at the orientation program were wearing clothes made using the traditional Indonesian batik technique, which is part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. They also shared their plans for the semester, informing the audience that besides learning, they would like to organize programs to share Indonesia's highly colourful culture in a fun way not only at the university level, but also at several schools with the help of the Nevetnikék Foundation and other local organizations.
Written by: Mariann Tóth
Photo: Szabolcs Csortos
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