Student Exchange ProgramsUniversity of Muhammadiyah Malang

A. Background

In the globalized world as what we are facing today, no one is

able to run away; no matter what we are. Globalization cannot

differentiate between someone who understands the idea behind it

and the one who knows nothing about it. It does not have ears to

listen, no nose to smell, and no the heart to to feel. Therefore, a

university like the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) does

not want to be left behind, entering and involving a university in this

world is unquestioned.

UMM is able to identify that, at least, there are four key

reasons for paying greater attention to globalization. The first is

because knowledge knows no boundaries; if we do not

internationalize, we risk becoming a narrow-minded institution. The

University has made it clear that we will judge our accomplishments

according to international standards. By developing collaborative

partnerships with many of the best institutions around the world, we

will continue to enhance the quality of our own programs, and to

ensure that the work of scholars from UMM is known and respected

worldwide.

Second, UMM realizes the mandate to bring the world to their

students and other constituents in all of its cultural and physical

diversity. Courses, researches and instructional programs must

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provide an introduction to the complex global environment. These

activities will be able to help to prepare our students for active

participation in the global economy and society.

The next reason is to maintain a long tradition of aspiring to

social justice and environmental sustainability. UMM has

demonstrated this commitment through active participation in

development projects and educational initiatives that enhance the

capacity of our partner institutions and contribute to progressive

social transformation. To continue this tradition, UMM should also

tries to expand the range of activities beyond the traditional

engagements into other areas. For example, UMM can do it by

developing an interdisciplinary and cross-college collaboration in

research activities that will contribute to the search for solutions to

major global problems (e.g., global environmental change).

The promotion of UMM internationally also has the potential to

generate significant revenues for the institution (through student

fees, research grants and contracts, and donations). Broadening and

deepening our commitment in this field has its cost, however, so

these revenues will need to be reinvested to provide infrastructural

support for globalization.

To initiate an international program, there a number of

activities that can be routes. But, one of the academic activities

that is of highly relevant is by conducting a Student Exchange

Program.

B. Objectives

The mail objective of this program is to make UMM be able to

develop an international exposure and a networking with some

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universities and institutions abroad that is important for the

students themselves personally and for UMM institutionally. So

this program will become an opening door for the initiation of

international cooperation between UMM and other universities and

institution from other countries.

Spefically, this program that can be considered as an

investment for life for the students will be beneficial in many

different and valuable ways. For example, this program will be able

to make the students of UMM learn another language and open

career doors you didn’t know existed; get to know how others live

and come to see the world from another perspective; test and

acquire the students’ independence and maturity; make new

friends and appreciate old ones even more; gain experience and

judgement; and learn about the world first hand

C. Benefits for Students

Students who participate in student exchange program will obtain

some benefits because those students will be able to:

• Broaden personal and educational perspectives

• Explore and appreciate new cultures

• Widen university boundaries

• Learn from different professors

• Experience personal growth

• Live in a different geographic area

• Investigate graduate or professional schools

• Look for future employment opportunities

• Become more independent and resourceful

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D. Types of Activities:

The types of activities of the student exchange program vary

from the simple to the more complicated ones. Those activities

might be in the form of: 1) sit-in, 2) internship, 3) community

service and development; 4) summer job; 5) training and

shadowing; 6) double degree program.

1. Sit-in program

In “sit-in program” what the students of UMM do is simply

joining the teaching learning activities in other university abroad

with similar department. For example, the students of

Psychology Faculty who participate in this program will attend

some classes in psychology in other university abroad. Because

this is a non credit program, the students do not earn any credit

from this program. But they observe and learn how the

students from other countries do their daily academic activities,

expecially in their teaching learning activities.

2. Internships

Different from the sit-in program that is in collaboration

with a university with similar program, internships will be

developed in collaboration with a company abroad that is ready

to accept UMM students to do internship program. But it must

be the one that is in line with the students’ study program. The

students of Management Department, for instance, must have

the internship in the field of management. The students from

Engineering must also have this program in the engineering

field, etc.

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3. Community Service and Development

In community service and development, the students are

assigned to have some community service and development

projects. The projects will be implemented in collaboration either

with a Non Government Organization (NGO) or a partner

university abroad. The projects themselves might be the ones

that are in line with the students’ study program or different. It

is advisable that the projects are in line with their study

program.

The theme of community service and development project

is the eights Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that consist

of: 1) eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; 2) achieveing

universsal primary educations; 3) promoting gender equity and

empowering women; 4) reducing child mortality; 5) improving

maternal health; 6) combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other

diseases; 7) ensuring environmental sustainibility; and 8)

developing a global partnership for development.

4. Summer Job

In summer job, as the name suggests, what the students

do is working within about 4 months in any company abroad,

especially the one in the United States of America (USA). It is not

necessarily in line with the students’ study program because the

main objective of this program is to make UMM students have

the experience work interacting and working with people from

different cultural background. This experience, of course, is very

helpful for them when they have to enter the workplace wherever

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they go. They will not be surprised and stressed when they have

to face and to work with people from different characters and

cultural background.

5. Training and Shadowing

Training and shadowing is aimed at training and providing

an experience of organizing student activities in a university

abroad for the students of UMM who are active in student

organization. These students are supposed to involve in student

activities and always “shadow” what the chiefs of the student

organization do in their daily program. When there is a meeting,

for example, UMM students have to join it. Any student activity

that is relevant must be participated. It is quite possible that

UMM students will also give training for their counterparts

abroad because of their experience in conducting similar

program.

6. Double Degree Programs

Double degree programs are the ideal one of student

exchange activity. As what we all know, with this program, after

their study, UMM students are expected to obtain 2 (two)

degrees: one from UMM and the other one from its counterpart

university abroad. To implement this program, UMM will

struggle to embrace a university partner that agrees to have a

collaboration in “one for one” basis. With basis of agreement,

UMM students do not have to pay the tuition fee higher than the

what they have to do at UMM. If possible, UMM students pay

tuition in UMM standard. The students of counterpart university

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also in their own standard; the students are charge regularly

without additional payment.

E. Counterpart Universities

The counterpart universities are the ones from the countries

where UMM already has a collaboration such as Malaysia, Brunai

Darussalam, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, France,

etc.

F. Cost Sharing

This program is implemented on the basis of cost sharing

among some parties such UMM, Indonesian government, students

themselves, and other parties who are voluntarily ready to

participate in this program.

G. Closing

Whether this program is successful or not, it depends a lot on

the participation of the involved parties. When it is well

implemented, UMM will get the benefit in the form of competitive

advantage as a university with international exposure.

For further communication, the contact person in charge of

this program is as follows:

Mr. SoepartoAssistant Rector for International RelationsUniversity of Muhammadiyah MalangJl. Raya Tlogomas 246 Malang 65144East Java – Indonesia Phone/Fax: +62 341 460435Mobile Phone: +62 8123368597Email: soeparto@umm.ac.id

partoumm@yahoo.com

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