Indonesia
On July 26, Postgraduate Program at Universitas Islam Malang welcomed guests from Indonesia’s westernmost province, specifically from Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) in Banda Aceh, representing the Master’s Program in English Language Education.
Master’s Program in English Language Education was represented by its Program Coordinator, Dr. Iskandar AS, S.Pd., MA, accompanied by faculty member Dr. Saiful, S.Pd., M.Pd., M.TESOL.
Their visit to Unisma was warmly welcomed by the Director of Postgraduate Program, Prof. H. M. Mas’ud Said, MM, Ph.D, and the Head of the Master’s Program in English Language Education (MPB.Ing) at Universitas Islam Malang, Dr. Hj. Mutmainnah Mustofa, M.Pd.
A number of MPB.Ing faculty members were present, including Prof. Drs. H. Djunaidi Mistar, M.Pd., Ph.D., who is also Unisma’s Vice Rector 2; Dr. Imam Wahyudi Karimullah, MA; and other faculty members. The event took place in the Multicultural Islamic Studies Center Room on the third floor of unisma’s postgraduate building in Malang.
Their visit to Unisma’s Postgraduate Program was part of a benchmarking initiative between Unisma’s Master’s Program in English Language Education and USK’s Master’s Program in English Language Education.
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Prof. Masud’s Warm Welcome for the Benchmarking Visit from USK
In his remarks on behalf of Unisma, Prof. H. M. Mas’ud Said, MM, Ph.D., said that he felt deeply honored to host a visit from one of the universities in that brilliant and extraordinary special province.
Director of postgraduate program also noted that the visit felt nostalgic, as Dr. Iskandar and Dr. Saiful are both alumni of universities in Australia, and it serves to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions.
“We share many commonalities as university administrators and as colleagues from universities in Australia. We also feel as though we want to visit USK again, and if there are benefits to be gained, I believe we can learn all the strengths that USK possesses there. If there are areas where we fall short, we would also like to seek advice from all of you,” said the Professor of Social Sciences, Government, and Administration.
The expert on East Java provincial governance also noted that this visit is expected to strengthen camaraderie, highlight unique aspects, and enhance technological advantages. “I’m sure there will be benefits and something new,” he concluded.
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Dr. Iskandar Impressed by Unisma’s Hospitality
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the MPB.Ing program at USK, Dr. Iskandar, said he felt deeply honored and privileged during this visit to Unisma.
“We are deeply honored by your warm welcome, starting with the security staff, followed by the Director, whose first words made it feel as though we were meeting an old friend,” said Dr. Iskandar.
The Vice Rector for Academic Affairs noted that this visit is expected to benefit both parties. “So we can learn from one another and draw on the positive aspects from both Unisma and USK,” explained the Professor of English Language Education.
Dr. Iskandar then mentioned that his visit to Unisma this time had two main concerns: how students write their theses and sustainable programs that could be formalized through future agreements. He noted that each campus has its own unique approach to managing its students.
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Thereafter, Head of MBP. Ing at Unisma, Dr. Mutmainnah Mustofa, M.Pd, delivered a presentation highlighting the strengths of her department before the guests and faculty members at the event. In response, Dr. Iskandar expressed his admiration for Unisma’s presentation.
“I admit that I am very impressed with the presentation by MPB.Ing Unisma, and perhaps as an accreditation body, Unisma might also be able to help,” explained the individual, who graduated from University of New England, Australia, in 2015. The benchmarking event proceeded solemnly and smoothly, and concluded with a group photo session and the exchange of tokens of appreciation among the university representatives. (AAFR/AAL/PPS).
