GCW Online Training Series July 2020: Alumni Sharing for Study Abroad

Global Competencies Workshop (GCW) Online Series was back in July bringing new, fresh, and interesting themes named “Alumni Sharing for Study Abroad”. In collaboration with special speakers from ITS alumni, the GCW Online July Series will give more insight into study abroad experience, proposing a visa, preparing documents to study abroad, tips to arrange financial planning and funding submission, and also sharing about the lab internship program. Through the zoom and Instagram live platform, GCW Online provides free access for college students to join the event. 

The first session of the July series titled “Student Exchange Experience” was held on Wednesday, 1 July 2020 at 4 pm – 6 pm (GMT+7) through Instagram live. In the first week, GCW Online discussed the speakers’ experiences joining student exchange including how to adapt to a new environment, choosing the subject, and the challenges face during study abroad. 

The fourth topic of GCW Online was delivered by Ms. Luh Saraswati Pandyaningrum from the Architecture Department batch 2015 participated in Student Exchange Fall Semester 2018 in King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand and Mr. Dio Mukti Kuncoro, S.T. from Marine Transportation Engineering Department batch 2014 participated in Student Exchange Spring Semester 2018 Chung Ang University, South Korea. 

The participant was very enthusiastic because they ask many questions to the speakers such as the culture in Korea and Thailand, how to adapt while study abroad, the reason Mr. Dio choose the course that different in his department, tips to choose the courses for exchange, and many more. There was also a weekly quiz about the topic that was given in the first session. The participant especially ITS Students could take the quiz to get points that could be exchanged with the rewards. 

The second session of this series titled “Visa Schengen dan Tips Pembayaran Konteks Internasional” was held on Thursday, 9 July 2020 at 5 pm – 6 pm (GMT+7). In this session, GCW Online discussed the speaker’s experience in the making of Schengen visa and tips to transact in an international program through Instagram live. 

The fifth topic was delivered by Ms. Fathaliati Zikri Musev Putri, S.T. from Industrial Engineering batch 2016 participated in Winter University Programme 2019 Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Before the session, the speaker had prepared the material on Monday, 6 July 2020 through IGTV for the participants would be more understanding about the topic mentioned. 

Ms. Fathaliati explained her experiences about the procedure, regulation, problems, tips, and trick while proposing a Schengen Visa, including how to act when our proposal was rejected. During the session, the enthusiasm of the participants was quite high because they asked many questions related to the topic. As a week ago, there was also a quiz that can be taken by ITS Students to get points. If you missed the session, don’t worry, because you can access the recording video on IGTV. 

The third session ofthe GCW Online July series was held on Wednesday, 15 July 2020 at 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm (GMT+7) titled “Bedah Persiapan Program Study Abroad” through Instagram live. On the sixth topic, GCW Online brought in the special guest from ITS Global Engagement staff, Mr. Muh. Wahyu Islami Pratama M., S.T. as Junior Supervisor, In-charge for International Short Program and Khoirul Umuludin, S.Hub.Int. as Staff for International Student Hospitality. 

Mr. Wahyu shared comprehensive information about the documents that have to be prepared when the students want to apply for the study abroad program. While Mr. Khoirul explained new regulations on applying for funding support. In this session, the participants would be given information about procedural and course selection. To be more understanding about the topic mentioned, the participants were suggested to read the information on https://www.its.ac.id/international/its-goes-global/funding-support (funding support information on student outbound mobility). 

The enthusiasm of the participants was high. They asked many questions about preparing and selection process. As mentioned in the previous session, there was also a weekly quiz for the participant to take the quiz and get points that could be exchanged with GCW Online rewards. 

The fourth session of GCW Online titled “Tips dalam Perencanaan Keuangan dan Pengajuan Dana” was held on Thursday, 23 July 2020 at 7 pm – 8 pm through Instagram live. The seventh topic of the GCW Online series would give insight into the speaker’s experiences and tips to manage financial planning followed by explaining about funding support procedure on the study abroad program. 

The speaker of this session was Mr. Ahmad Syahid Abdulloh from Product Design batch 2016 participated in Global Project-Based Learning, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan 2019, ASEAN Youth, on Sustainable Tourism, Vietnam 2019, World Conference on Creative Economy, Bali 2018, ASEAN Student Forum, Malaysia 2018, and Asia University Summer Program, Taiwan 2018. 

Before the session, participants were suggested to watch the material related to the topic mentioned through IGTV on Monday, 20 July 2020. Mr. Syahid gave comprehensive information to the participants about tips and trick arranging financial planning. He also answered the questions that had been asked by the participants on the IGTV comment section. There was also a weekly quiz for the participant to take the quiz and get points that could be exchanged with GCW Online rewards as mentioned in the previous session.

The final week of the GCW Online July series was held on Wednesday, 29 July 2020 titled “Pengalaman dalam Mengikuti Lab Internship Program” through Instagram live. There were three sessions on a day delivered by three speakers. Each speaker shared their experiences during a lab internship such as research situation, lab meeting, assessment, even, cultural shock. 

The first session was delivered by Ms. Waindini Teknik Geofisika batch 2015 as a participant of the Short Research Exchange Program (SREP) and Lab Internship at Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) Japan Intake July 2019 at 3 pm – 4 pm (GMT+7). The second session was held at 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm delivered by Ms. Modista Garsia from Informatika batch 2016 as a participant of Lab Internship TEEP Asia plus program at National Chung Cheng University (CCU) Taiwan intake Spring 2020. And the last session was delivered by Ms. Juwitasari Nur Rachmawati as a participant of the International Internship at Faculty of Science (FSci) at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) Thailand Intake 2018. 

The committee of the GCW Online 2020 July series hopes that ITS students have the willingness to apply student exchange and lab internship programs, know how to prepare the documents needed for study abroad, and the procedural applying for funding support. We also hope that ITS students can understand the regulation to propose Schengen Visa and know how to arrange financial planning.