In June and July 2024, ACICIS had the pleasure of welcoming 24 students from nine Australian universities to the ILSC Winter Program 2024. Among all the participants, 20 students were supported by the New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant, and two students were New Colombo Plan Scholarship recipients. Collaborating with the Language Training Centre (LTC) of Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW), ACICIS provided the students with intensive Indonesian language learning and cultural exposure for three weeks in Salatiga. The students participated in the ILSC program orientation on June 29th and 30th 2024. During the orientation, they received details about the program and some information on health, security, and Indonesian culture.
On the next day, the students started Indonesian language classes, which were organized into six proficiency levels, with each class consisting of three to nine students. This intensive language learning program took place from July 1st to 18th 2024. Classes were scheduled to run weekly from Monday to Thursday, from 08:30 to 13:00 WIB. In this program, the students did not only learn Indonesian language, but they also joined a seminar and had cultural sharing preparation at the end of the first week on July 5th.
Apart from learning in classes, the participants also had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local culture by visiting and observing pasar (traditional market), ‘klenteng’ (place of worship for Chinese traditional faiths in Indonesia), cafes, and other interesting places in Salatiga. On July 12th, the students also participated in culture sharing and culture exposure sessions. In these sessions, the participants had the chance to learn more about a certain cultural topic and interact with UKSW students. Specifically, in the culture sharing the ILSC participants described work culture in Australia and taught basic English to UKSW library staff. Meanwhile, in the culture exposure the participants learned about a traditional wedding procession from Central Java called ‘siraman’ through a mock siraman session. Furthermore, the students also participated in other activities such as grammar and extracurricular classes including batik class.
Nearing the end of the program, the students were also required to present their individual final project on July 18th. Following the final test, the entire ILSC program was officially concluded on July 19th with a wonderful closing ceremony where the participants received their certificates of completion. In the closing program, some students also showcased their talents with outstanding performances in singing, playing piano, and hip-hop dancing.
ACICIS extends its congratulations to all the participants who successfully completed the program and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.