Universitas Indonesia (UI) held International Students Day 2023 on 15th–17th of November 2023, a collaboration between the International Office and the UI Buddy Club. Head of the International Office, drg. Baiduri Widanarko, M.KKK, Ph.D., hoped that International Students Day activities will be able to bring togetherness among foreign students and build closeness with Indonesian society and culture. “UI is increasingly maturing itself to become a world class university through the internationalization of study programs and student exchanges. For this reason, the UI International Office is committed to accommodating foreign students with various activities to connect with each other,” said Baiduri.
International Students Day 2023, which carried the theme “Empowering Unity, Enriching Future”, consisted of two events, namely International Sports Day and International Culture Day. On International Sports Day, there were three types of sports competed, which were badminton, volleyball, and futsal.
Meanwhile, at the International Culture Day event, booths were opened representing various regions in the world, such as Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and North America. During this activity, the UI Buddy Club also opened a booth which provided various types of typical Indonesian snacks, such as putu ayu cake, onde-onde, cucur cake, pastels, and so on.
A student from Pakistan named Awais Ahmed said he was happy because he could try the signature food from various countries provided at each booth. Likewise, a student from Zimbabwe named Charles Tichavavamwe admitted that he liked elephant ears (kuping gajah) as his favorite snack after trying them for the first time. “I love the Indonesian dish named elephant ear or what is it called? Kuping gajah, right! It has a unique taste,” said Charles.
Apart from sports events and culinary exhibitions, International Students Day 2023 also featured various dances, songs, and fashion shows performed by foreign students. While participating in this activity, Naho Sakamoto, a student from Japan, said that he felt more connected to other cultures, especially Indonesian culture which he was currently studying. “Through this event, I can practice Indonesian with Indonesian people who come to our booth,” said Naho.
Through this activity, it is hoped that international students will celebrate differences by understanding each other.
