ITS Campus, ITS News – Adapting to the pandemic makes ITS keep innovate with every event. After successfully reaping high enthusiasm in the previous period, ITS Directorate of Global Partnerships (DKG) again held East Java Exploration (EJx), from September 18 to October 9, 2020.

EJx is a form of cooperation and sister state activities between East Java and the government/institutions of foreign partners. Campus involvement becomes a strategic capital for the East Java Provincial Government (Pemprov Jatim) and foreign partners in bringing closer relations between communities and also provides constructive input for future policymaking.

ITS Global Partnership Director Dr Maria Anityasari ST ME at the opening ceremony of the East Java Exploration (EJx) Batch September

ITS Global Partnership Director Dr Maria Anityasari ST ME said that initially the program was only made in two batches (August and September) in one year. However, due to very high demand including from partner universities in Western Australia, a September batch was held. “The difference is at the time of implementation,” Maria said.

With regard to the timing of the implementation, Maria explained that in this September period the activities are not carried out every day as in the previous period. Instead, the EJx program is only available every night on Fridays and Saturdays. “However, for the period starting September 28, a full week was carried out due to a semester break on the partner campus,” explained the lecturer of the Department of System and Industrial Engineering.

During the program, all participants will collaborate together and improve their insights and experiences through the learning of specific topics that are the hallmark of every host university in East Java. Also, visit virtually some of the uniqueness of tourism in the second largest province in terms of population and modernization in Indonesia.

In the month of September, this activity was attended by 36 international students from five countries. Among others, Cavite State University Main-Campus and Far Eastern University in the Philippines, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, International College University of Technology Krungthep, and Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand, Murdoch University, University of Notre Dame, and University of Western Australia at Australia Saga University, Osaka University, Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan, and Singapore University of Social Sciences in Singapore.

One of the international participants of the Cavite State Univeristy Main-Campus Philippines, Michelle T Atas

Meanwhile, the topic was supported by 10 campuses in East Java. Among others, Women Empowerment within Muslim Community in Indonesia by UINMMI, Smart City by ITS, Maintaining Mental Health During Covid-19 Pandemic by Universitas Airlangga (Unair), Start-up Ecosystem in Malang by UNiversitas Brawijaya (UB), History of Indonesia Independece Day by UPNVJT, Institutional Arrangement of Tobacco for Community Welfare and Tobacco for Health by University of Jember (Unej), Malangan Javanese and Walikan Language by Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) , History & Indonesian Culture on Islamic New Year by UINSA, Madura at Glance & Learning Madura Language by Trunojoyo Madura University (UTM), and Understanding Indonesian Language Diversity by State University of Surabaya (Unesa).

Division of EJx discussion group containing international students and Indonesian students

Maria said, one of the more things that distinguishes each batch is the context of the material. For example, last August there was an Islamic New Year celebration, then the material will appear in August. In October there is a celebration of Maulid Nabi, then islamic universities bring the material. “Then, in October there will be material about pesantren education,” she explained.

Maria admitted that the material presented did not go to one topic because there are 10 campuses involved. Each campus is an institute, comprehensive university, religious, and educational. “What we emphasize is to lift the strength of each campus, and participants can understand the intellectual and cultural property in East Java,” she said.

In terms of technical implementation of activities, all participants are divided into 10 groups based on topics of interest. Each of these groups correlates with the selected topic. “From there, Indonesian and international students interact and work together to do the task given,” said Maria.

At the end of the occasion, Maria revealed that the participants’ response was unexpected. From the beginning, the program did not target the number of participants, only put a number of 15 as the minimum number of activities carried out. However, evident at the opening of the event on September 18, participants were very enthusiastic. “Hopefully, this program will continue hybridly in 2021,” she concluded hopefully.

(tri/Anjani/ITS Public Relation Officer)

During the opening ceremony of East Java Exploration (EJx) Batch September